MANY  CARGOES 


MANY  CARGOES 


BY 
W.   W.   JACOBS 


McKINLAY,  STONE  &  MACKENZIE 
NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1894,  1895,  1896, 
BY  BACHELLER,  JOHNSON  &  BACHELLER 

Copyright,  1897,  1903, 
BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY 


Stack 
Annex 


CONTENTS 

PACK 

A  CHANGE  OF  TREATMENT i 

A  LOVE  PASSAGE 12 

THE  CAPTAIN'S  EXPLOIT 30 

CONTRABAND  OF  WAR 41 

A  BLACK  AFFAIR 57 

THE  SKIPPER  OF  THE  "  OSPREY  " 75 

IN  BORROWED  PLUMES 89 

THE  BOATSWAIN'S  WATCH 106 

Low  WATER 123 

IN  MID- ATLANTIC 137 

AFTER  THE  INQUEST 148 

IN  LIMEHOUSE  REACH 161 

AN  ELABORATE  ELOPEMENT 175 

THE  COOK  OF  THE  "GANNET" 188 

A  BENEFIT  PERFORMANCE 200 

A  CASE  OF  DESERTION 219 

OUTSAILED 225 

MATED 235 

THE  RIVAL  BEAUTIES 248 

MRS.  BUNKER'S  CHAPERON 260 

A  HARBOUR  OF  REFUGE 273 


A   CHANGE   OF  TREATMENT 


Y 


ES,  I've  sailed  under  some  'cute  skippers 
in  my  time,"  said  the  night-watchman; 
"them 

that  go  down  in 
big  ships  see  the 
wonders  o'  the 
deep,  you  know," 
he  added  with  a 
sudden  chuckle, 
"  but  the  one  I  'm 
going  to  tell  you 
about  ought  never 
to  have  been 
trusted  out  with- 
out 'is  ma.  A 
good  many  o'  my 
skippers  had  fads, 
but  this  one  was 
the  worst  I  ever 
sailed  under. 


The  Night- Watchman 


[I] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  It 's  some  few  years  ago  now;  I  'd  shipped  on 
his  barque,  the  John  Elliott,  as  slow-going  an  old 
tub  as  ever  I  was  aboard  of,  when  I  was  n't  in  quite 
a  fit  an'  proper  state  to  know  what  I  was  doing,  an' 
I  had  n't  been  in  her  two  days  afore  I  found  out  his 
'obby  through  overhearing  a  few  remarks  made  by 
the  second  mate,  who  came  up  from  dinner  in  a 
hurry  to  make  'em.  *  I  don't  mind  saws  an'  knives 
hung  round  the  cabin,'  he  ses  to  the  fust  mate,  '  but 
when  a  chap  has  a  'uman  'and  alongside  'is  plate, 
studying  it  while  folks  is  at  their  food,  it 's  more 
than  a  Christian  man  can  stand.' 

"  '  That 's  nothing,'  ses  the  fust  mate,  who  had 
sailed  with  the  barque  afore.  '  He 's  half  crazy 
on  doctoring.  We  nearly  had  a  mutiny  aboard  once 
owing  to  his  wanting  to  hold  a  post-mortem  on  a 
man  what  fell  from  the  mast-head.  Wanted  to  see 
what  the  poor  feller  died  of.' 

"  '  I  call  it  unwholesome,'  ses  the  second  mate 
very  savage.  '  He  offered  me  a  pill  at  breakfast  the 
size  of  a  small  marble;  quite  put  me  off  my  feed, 
it  did.' 

"  Of  course,  the  skippers  fad  soon  got  known 
for'ard.  But  I  did  n't  think  much  about  it,  till  one 
day  I  seed  old  Dan'l  Dennis  sitting  on  a  locker  read- 
ing. Every  now  and  then  he  'd  shut  the  book,  an' 
look  up,  closing  'is  eyes,  an'  moving  his  lips  like 
a  hen  drinking,  an'  then  look  down  at  the  book 
again. 

"  '  Why,  Dan,'  I  ses,  '  what 's  up  ?  you  ain't 
laming  lessons  at  your  time  o'  life  ?  ' 

"  '  Yes,  I  am,'  ses  Dan  very  soft.  '  You  might 
hear  me  say  it,  it 's  this  one  about  heart  disease.' 


A    CHANGE    OF    TREATMENT 

"  He  hands  over  the  book,  which  was  stuck  full 
o'  all  kinds  o'  diseases,  and  winks  at  me  'ard. 

"  '  Picked  it  up  on  a  book-stall/  he  ses ;  then  he 
shut  'is  eyes  an'  said  his  piece  wonderful.  It  made 
me  quite  queer  to  listen  to  'im.  '  That 's  how  I  feel,' 
ses  he,  when  he  'd  finished.  '  Just  strength  enough 
to  get  to  bed.  Lend  a  hand,  Bill,  an'  go  an'  fetch 
the  doctor.' 

"  Then  I  see  his  little  game,  but  I  was  n't  going 
to  run  any  risks,  so  I  just  mentioned,  permiscous 
like,  to  the  cook  as  old  Dan  seemed  rather  queer,  an' 
went  back  an'  tried  to  borrer  the  book,  being  always 
fond  of  reading.  Old  Dan  pretended  he  was  too  ill 
to  hear  what  I  was  saying,  an'  afore  I  could  take  it 
away  from  him,  the  skipper  comes  hurrying  down 
with  a  bag  in  his  'and. 

"  '  What 's  the  matter,  my  man?  '  ses  he,  '  what 's 
the  matter  ? ' 

"  '  I  'm  all  right,  sir,'  ses  old  Dan,  '  'cept  that  I  've 
been  swoonding  away  a  little.' 

"  *  Tell  me  exactly  how  you  feel,'  ses  the  skipper, 
feeling  his  pulse. 

"  Then  old  Dan  said  his  piece  over  to  him,  an' 
the  skipper  shook  his  head  an'  looked  very  solemn. 

"  '  How  long  have  you  been  like  this  ? '  he  ses. 

"  '  Four  or  five  years,  sir,'  ses  Dan.  '  It  ain't 
nothing  serious,  sir,  is  it  ? ' 

"  '  You  lie  quite  still,'  ses  the  skipper,  putting  a 
little  trumpet  thing  to  his  chest  an'  then  listening. 
'  Um !  there 's  serious  mischief  here  I  'm  afraid,  the 
prognotice  is  very  bad.' 

*  Prog  what,  sir  ? '  ses  Dan,  staring. 

"  '  Prognotice,'  ses  the  skipper,  at  least  I  thinlc 

[3] 


MANY    CARGOES 

that 's  the  word  he  said.  '  You  keep  perfectly  still, 
an'  I  '11  go  an'  mix  you  up  a  draught,  and  tell  the 
cook  to  get  some  strong  beef-tea  on.' 

"  Well,  the  skipper  'ad  no  sooner  gone,  than 
Cornish  Harry,  a  great  big  lumbering  chap  o'  six 
feet  two,  goes  up  to  old  Dan,  an'  he  ses,  '  Gimme 
that  book.' 

"  '  Go  away,'  says  Dan,  '  don't  come  worrying 
'ere;  you  'card  the  skipper  say  how  bad  my  prog- 
notice  was.' 

"  '  You  lend  me  the  book,'  ses  Harry,  ketching 
hold  of  him,  '  or  else  I  '11  bang  you  first,  and  split 
to  the  skipper  arterwards.  I  believe  I  'm  a  bit 
consumptive.  Anyway,  I  'm  going  to  see.' 

"  He  dragged  the  book  away  from  the  old  man, 
and  began  to  study.  There  was  so  many  complaints 
in  it  he  was  almost  tempted  to  have  something  else 
instead  of  consumption,  but  he  decided  on  that  at 
last,  an'  he  got  a  cough  what  worried  the  fo'c'sle 
all  night  long,  an'  the  next  day,  when  the  skipper 
came  down  to  see  Dan,  he  could  'ardly  'ear  hisself 
speak. 

"  '  That 's  a  nasty  cough  you  've  got,  my  man/ 
ses  he,  looking  at  Harry. 

*  Oh,  it 's  nothing,  sir,'  ses  Harry,  careless  like. 
'  I  've  'ad  it  for  months  now  off  and  on.  I  think  it 's 
perspiring  so  of  a  night  does  it.' 

"  '  What  ?  '  ses  the  skipper.  '  Do  you  perspire  of 
a  night?' 

"  '  Dredful,'  ses  Harry.  '  You  could  wring  the 
clo'es  out.  I  s'pose  it 's  healthy  for  me,  ain't  it, 
sir?' 

" '  .Undo  your  shirt,'  ses  the  skipper,  going  over 

[4] 


A    CHANGE    OF    TREATMENT 

to  him,  an'  sticking  the  trumpet  agin  him.  '  Now 
take  a  deep  breath.  Don't  cough.' 

"  '  I  can't  help  it,  sir,'  ses  Harry,  '  it  will  come. 
Seems  to  tear  me  to  pieces.' 

"  '  You  get  to  bed  at  once,'  says  the  skipper, 
taking  away  the  trumpet,  an'  shaking  his  'ed.  '  It 's 
a  fortunate  thing  for  you,  my  lad,  you  're  in  skilled 
hands.  With  care,  I  believe  I  can  pull  you  round. 
How  does  that  medicine  suit  you,  Dan  ? ' 

"  '  Beautiful,  sir,'  says  Dan.  '  It 's  wonderful 
soothing,  I  slep'  like  a  new-born  babe  arter  it.' 

"  '  I  '11  send  you  some  more,'  ses  the  skipper. 
'  You  're  not  to  get  up  mind,  either  of  you.' 

"  '  All  right,  sir/  ses  the  two  in  very  faint  vokes, 
an'  the  skipper  went  away  arter  telling  us  to  be  care- 
ful not  to  make  a  noise. 

"  We  all  thought  it  a  fine  joke  at  first,  but  the  airs 
them  two  chaps  give  themselves  was  something  sick- 
ening. Being  in  bed  all  day,  they  was  naturally 
wakeful  of  a  night,  and  they  used  to  call  across  the 
fo'c'sle  inquiring  arter  each  other's  healths,  an' 
waking  us  other  chaps  up.  An'  they  'd  swop  beef- 
tea  an'  jellies  with  each  other,  an'  Dan  'ud  try  an' 
coax  a  little  port  wine  out  o'  Harry,  which  he  'ad  to 
make  blood  with,  but  Harry  'ud  say  he  had  n't  made 
enough  that  day,  an'  he  'd  drink  to  the  better  health 
of  old  Dan's  prognotice,  an'  smack  his  lips  until  it 
drove  us  a' most  crazy  to  'ear  him. 

"  Arter  these  chaps  had  been  ill  two  days,  the 
other  fellers  began  to  put  their  heads  together,  being 
maddened  by  the  smell  o'  beef-tea  an'  the  like,  an' 
said  they  was  going  to  be  ill  too,  and  both  the  in- 
valids got  into  a  fearful  state  of  excitement. 

[5] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  c  You  '11  only  spoil  it  for  all  of  us/  ses  Harry, 
'  and  you  don't  know  what  to  have  without  the 
book.' 

"  '  It 's  all  very  well  doing  your  work  as  well  as 
our  own/  ses  one  of  the  men.  '  It 's  our  turn  now. 
It 's  time  you  two  got  well.' 

"'Well?'  ses  Harry,  'well?  Why  you  silly 
iggernerant  chaps,  we  shan't  never  get  well,  people 
with  our  complaints  never  do.  You  ought  to  know 
that.' 

"  '  Well,  I  shall  split/  ses  one  of  them. 

"  '  You  do ! '  ses  Harry,  '  you  do,  an'  I  '11  put  a  'ed 
on  you  that  all  the  port  wine  and  jellies  in  the  world 
would  n't  cure.  'Sides,  don't  you  think  the  skipper 
knows  what 's  the  matter  with  us?  ' 

"  'Afore  the  other  chap  could  reply,  the  skipper 
hisself  comes  down,  accompanied  by  the  fust  mate, 
with  a  look  on  his  face  which  made  Harry  give  the 
deepest  and  hollowest  cough  he  'd  ever  done. 

"  '  What  they  reely  want/  ses  the  skipper,  turning 
to  the  mate,  '  is  keerful  nussing.' 

"  '  I  wish  you  'd  let  me  nuss  'em/  ses  the  fust 
mate, '  only  ten  minutes  —  I  'd  put  'em  both  on  their 
legs,  an'  running  for  their  lives  into  the  bargain,  in 
ten  minutes.' 

"  '  Hold  your  tongue,  sir/  ses  the  skipper;  *  what 
you  say  is  unfeeling,  besides  being  an  insult  to  me. 
Do  you  think  I  studied  medicine  all  these  years 
without  knowing  when  a  man  's  ill?  ' 

"  The  fust  mate  growled  something  and  went  on 

deck,   and  the   skipper   started   examining  of   'em 

again.    He  said  they  was  wonderfully  patient  lying 

in  bed  so  long,  an'  he  had  'em  wrapped  up  in  bed- 

,   [6] 


A    CHANGE    OF    TREATMENT 

clo'es  and  carried  on  deck,  so  as  the  pure  air  could 
have  a  go  at  'em.  We  had  to  do  the  carrying,  an' 
there  they  sat,  breathing  the  pure  air,  and  looking  at 
the  fust  mate  out  of  the  corners  of  their  eyes.  If 
they  wanted  anything  from  below  one  of  us  had  to 
go  an'  fetch  it,  an'  by  the  time  they  was  taken  down 
to  bed  again,  we  all  resolved  to  be  took  ill  too. 

"  Only  two  of  'em  did  it  though,  for  Harry,  who 
was  a  powerful,  ugly-tempered  chap,  swore  he  'd 
do  all  sorts  o'  dreadful  things  to  us  if  we  did  n't 
keep  well  and  hearty,  an'  all  'cept  these  two  did. 
One  of  'em,  Mike  Rafferty,  laid  up  with  a  swelling 
on  his  ribs,  which  I  knew  myself  he  'ad  'ad  for  fif- 
teen years,  and  the  other  chap  had  paralysis.  I 
never  saw  a  man  so  reely  happy  as  the  skipper  was. 
He  was  up  an'  down  with  his  medicines  and  his  in- 
struments all  day  long,  and  used  to  make  notes  of 
the  cases  in  a  big  pocket-book,  and  read  'em  to  the 
second  mate  at  meal-times. 

"  The  fo'c'sle  had  been  turned  into  hospital  about 
a  week,  an'  I  was  on  deck  doing  some  odd  job  or  the 
other,  when  the  cook  comes  up  to  me  pulling  a  face 
as  long  as  a  fiddle. 

"''Mother  invalid,'  ses  he;  'fust  mate's  gone 
stark,  staring  mad ! ' 

"'Mad?'  ses  I. 

"  '  Yes,'  ses  he.  '  He  's  got  a  big  basin  in  the 
galley,  an'  he  's  laughing  like  a  hyener  an'  mixing 
bilge-water  an'  ink,  an'  paraffin  an'  butter  an'  soap 
an'  all  sorts  o'  things  up  together.  The  smell 's 
enough  to  kill  a  man ;  I  've  had  to  come  away.' 

"  Curious-like,  I  jest  walked  up  to  the  galley  an' 
puts  my  'ed  in,  an'  there  was  the  mate  as  the  cook 

[7] 


MANY    CARGOES 

said,  smiling  all  over  his  face,  and  ladling  some  thick 
sticky  stuff  into  a  stone  bottle. 

"'How's  the  pore  sufferers,  sir?'  ses  he,  step- 
ping out  of  the  galley  jest  as  the  skipper  was 
going  by. 

"  '  They  're  very  bad ;  but  I  hope  for  the  best/ 
ses  the  skipper,  looking  at  him  hard.  '  I  'm  glad  to 
see  you  've  turned  a  bit  more  feeling.' 

"  *  Yes,  sir,'  ses  the  mate.  '  I  did  n't  think  so  at 
fust,  but  I  can  see  now  them  chaps  is  all  very  ill. 
You  '11  s'cuse  me  saying  it,  but  I  don't  quite  approve 
of  your  treatment.' 

"  I  thought  the  skipper  would  ha'  bust. 

"  '  My  treatment  ?  '  ses  he.  '  My  treatment  ? 
What  do  you  know  about  it  ? ' 

"  '  You  're  treating  'em  wrong,  sir/  ses  the  mate. 
'  I  have  here '  (patting  the  jar)  'a  remedy  which 
'ud  cure  them  all  if  you  'd  only  let  me  try  it.' 

"  '  Pooh ! '  ses  the  skipper.  '  One  medicine  cure 
all  diseases !  The  old  story.  What  is  it?  Where  'd 
you  get  it  from  ? '  ses  he. 

"  '  I  brought  the  ingredients  aboard  with  me/  ses 
the  mate.  '  It 's  a  wonderful  medicine  discovered 
by  my  grandmother,  an'  if  I  might  only  try  it  I  'd 
thoroughly  cure  them  pore  chaps.' 

"  '  Rubbish ! '  ses  the  skipper. 

"  '  Very  well,  sir/  ses  the  mate,  shrugging  his 
shoulders.  '  O'  course,  if  you  won't  let  me  you 
won't.  Still  I  tell  you,  if  you  'd  let  me  try  I  'd  cure 
'em  all  in  two  days.  That 's  a  fair  challenge.' 

"  Well,  they  talked,  and  talked,  and  talked,  until 
at  last  the  skipper  give  way  and  went  down  below 
with  the  mate,  and  told  the  chaps  they  was  to  take 

[8] 


A    CHANGE    OF    TREATMENT 

the  new  medicine  for  two  days,  jest  to  prove  the 
mate  was  wrong. 

"  '  Let  pore  old  Dan  try  it  first,  sir,'  ses  Harry, 
starting  up,  an'  sniffing  as  the  mate  took  the  cork 
out ;  '  he 's  been  awful  bad  since  you  've  been 
away.' 

"  '  Harry  's  worse  than  I  am,  sir,'  ses  Dan;  '  it 's 
only  his  kind  heart  that  makes  him  say  that.' 

"'It  don't  matter  which  is  fust,'  ses  the  mate, 
filling  a  tablespoon  with  it,  '  there  's  plenty  for  all. 
Now,  Harry.' 

"  '  Take  it/  ses  the  skipper. 

"  Harry  took  it,  an'  the  fuss  he  made  you  'd  ha' 
thought  he  was  swallering  a  football.  It  stuck  all 
round  his  mouth,  and  he  carried  on  so  dredful  that 
the  other  invalids  was  half  sick  afore  it  came  to 
them. 

"  By  the  time  the  other  three  'ad  'ad  theirs  it 
was  as  good  as  a  pantermine,  an'  the  mate  corked 
the  bottle  up,  and  went  an'  sat  down  on  a  locker 
while  they  tried  to  rinse  their  mouths  out  with  the 
luxuries  which  had  been  given  'em. 

"  '  How  do  you  feel  ?  '  ses  the  skipper. 

"  '  I  'm  dying/  ses  Dan. 

"'So'm  I/  ses  Harry;  'I  b'leeve  the  mate's 
pisoned  us.' 

"  The  skipper  looks  over  at  the  mate  very  stern 
an'  shakes  his  'ed  slowly. 

"  '  It 's  all  right/  ses  the  mate.  '  It 's  always  like 
that  the  first  dozen  or  so  doses.' 

'  Dozen  or  so  doses ! '  ses  old  Dan,  in  a  far- 
away voice. 

" '  It  has  to  be  taken  every  twenty  minutes/  ses 

[9] 


MANY    CARGOES 

the  mate,  pulling  out  his  pipe  and  lighting  it;  an' 
the  four  men  groaned  all  together. 

" '  I  can't  allow  it/  ses  the  skipper,  '  I  can't 
allow  it.  Men's  lives  must  n't  be  sacrificed  for  an 
experiment.' 

"  '  'T  ain't  a  experiment/  ses  the  mate  very  in- 
dignant, '  it 's  an  old  family  medicine/ 

"  '  Well,  they  shan't  have  any  more/  ses  the  skip- 
per firmly. 

"  '  Look  here/  ses  the  mate.  '  If  I  kill  any  one  o' 
these  men  I  '11  give  you  twenty  pound.  Honour 
bright,  I  will/ 

" '  Make  it  twenty-five/  ses  the  skipper,  con- 
sidering. 

"  '  Very  good/  ses  the  mate.  '  Twenty-five ;  I 
Can't  say  no  fairer  than  that,  can  I  ?  It 's  about 
time  for  another  dose  now/ 

"  He  gave  'em  another  tablespoon ful  all  round 
as  the  skipper  left,  an'  the  chaps  what  was  n't  in- 
valids nearly  bust  with  joy.  He  would  n't  let  'em 
have  anything  to  take  the  taste  out,  'cos  he  said  it 
did  n't  give  the  medicine  a  chance,  an'  he  told  us 
other  chaps  to  remove  the  temptation,  an'  you  bet 
we  did. 

"  After  the  fifth  dose,  the  invalids  began  to  get 
desperate,  an'  when  they  heard  -  they  'd  got  to  be 
woke  up  every  twenty  minutes  through  the  night 
to  take  the  stuff,  they  sort  o'  give  up.  Old  Dan 
said  he  felt  a  gentle  glow  stealing  over  him  and 
strengthening  him,  and  Harry  said  that  it  felt  like 
a  healing  balm  to  his  lungs.  All  of  'em  agreed  it 
was  a  wonderful  sort  o'  medicine,  an'  arter  the 
sixth  dose  the  man  with  paralysis  dashed  up  on 
[10] 


A    CHANGE    OF    TREATMENT 

deck,  and  ran  up  the  rigging  like  a  cat.  He  sat 
there  for  hours  spitting,  an'  swore  he  'd  brain  any- 
body who  interrupted  him,  an'  arter  a  little  while 
Mike  Rafferty  went  up  and  j'ined  him,  an'  if  the 
fust  mate's  ears  did  n't  burn  by  reason  of  the 
things  them  two  pore  sufferers  said  about  'im,  they 
ought  to. 

"  They  was  all  doing  full  work  next  day,  an' 
though,  o'  course,  the  skipper  saw  how  he  'd  been 
done,  he  did  n't  allude  to  it.  Not  in  words,  that  is ; 
but  when  a  man  tries  to  make  four  chaps  do  the 
work  of  eight,  an'  hits  'em  when  they  don't,  it 's  a 
easy  job  to  see  where  the  shoe  pinches." 


T"T 


A   LOVE   PASSAGE 

THE  mate  was  leaning  against  the  side  of 
the  schooner,  idly  watching  a  few  red- 
coated  linesmen  lounging  on  the  Tower 
Quay.  Careful  mariners  were  getting  out  their 
side-lights,  and  careless  lightermen  were  progress- 
ing by  easy  bumps  from  craft  to  craft  on  their  way 
up  the  river.  A  tug,  half  burying  itself  in  its  own 
swell,  rushed  panting  by,  and  a  faint  scream  came 
from  aboard  an  approaching  skiff  as  it  tossed  in 
the  wash. 

"  Jessica  ahoy ! "  bawled  a  voice  from  the  skiff 
as  she  came  rapidly  alongside. 

The  mate,  roused  from  his  reverie,  mechanically 
caught  the  line  and  made  it  fast,  moving  with 
alacrity  as  he  saw  that  the  captain's  daughter  was 
one  of  the  occupants.  Before  he  had  got  over  his 
surprise  she  was  on  deck  with  her  boxes,  and  the 
captain  was  paying  off  the  watermen. 

"  You  've  seen  my  daughter  Hetty  afore,  have  n't 
you?"  said  the  skipper.  "She's  coming  with  us 
this  trip.  You  'd  better  go  down  and  make  up  her 
bed,  Jack,  in  that  spare  bunk." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  mate  dutifully,  moving  off. 

"  Thank  you,  I  '11  do  it  myself,"  said  the  scan- 
dalized Hetty,  stepping  forward  hastily. 

[12] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

"  As  you  please,"  said  the  skipper,  leading  the 
way  below.  "  Let 's  have  a  light  on,  Jack." 

The  mate  struck  a  match  on  his  boot,  and  lit  the 
lamp. 

"  There  's  a  few  things  in  there  '11  want  moving," 
said  the  skipper,  as  he  opened  the  door.  "  I  don't 
know  where  we  're  to  keep  the  onions  now,  Jack." 

"  We  '11  find  a  place  for  'em/'  said  the  mate  con- 
fidently, as  he  drew  out  a  sack  and  placed  it  on  the 
table. 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  sleep  in  there,"  said  the  visitor 
decidedly,  as  she  peered  in.  "  Ugh !  there  's  a  beetle. 
Ugh!" 

"  It 's  quite  dead,"  said  the  mate  reassuringly. 
"  I  've  never  seen  a  live  beetle  on  this  ship." 

"  I  want  to  go  home,"  said  the  girl.  "  You  've 
no  business  to  make  me  come  when  I  don't  want  to." 

"  You  should  behave  yourself  then,"  said  her 
father  magisterially.  "What  about  sheets,  Jack; 
and  pillers?  " 

The  mate  sat  on  the  table,  and,  grasping  his  chin, 
pondered.  Then  as  his  gaze  fell  upon  the  pretty, 
indignant  face  of  the  passenger,  he  lost  the  thread 
of  his  ideas. 

"  She  '11  have  to  have  some  o'  my  things  for  the 
present,"  said  the  skipper. 

"  Why  not,"  said  the  mate,  looking  up  again  — 
"  why  not  let  her  have  your  state-room?  " 

'  'Cos  I  want  it  myself,"  replied  the  other  calmly. 

The  mate  blushed  for  him,  and,  the  girl  leaving 
them  to  arrange  matters  as  they  pleased,  the  two 
men,  by  borrowing  here  and  contriving  there,  made 
up  the  bunk.  The  girl  was  standing  by  the  galley 


MANY    CARGOES 

•when  they  went  on  deck  again,  an  object  of  curious 
and  respectful  admiration  to  the  crew,  who  had 
come  on  board  in  the  meantime.  She  stayed  on  deck 
until  the  air  began  to  blow  fresher  in  the  wider 
reaches,  and  then,  with  a  brief  good-night  to  her 
father,  retired  below. 

"  She  made  up  her  mind  to  come  with  us  rather 
suddenly,  didn't  she?"  inquired  the  mate  after  she 
had  gone. 

"  She  did  n't  make  up  her  mind  at  all,"  said  the 
skipper;  "we  did  it  for  her,  me  an'  the  missus. 
It 's  a  plan  on  our  part." 

"  Wants  strengthening?  "  said  the  mate  suggest- 
ively. 

"Well,  the  fact  is,"  said  the  skipper,  "it's  like 
this,  Jack ;  there 's  a  friend  o'  mine,  a  provision 
dealer  in  a  large  way  o'  business,  wants  to  marry 
my  girl,  and  me  an'  the  missus  want  him  to  marry 
her,  so,  o'  course,  she  wants  to  marry  someone  else. 
Me  an'  'er  mother  we  put  our  'eads  together  and 
decided  for  her  to  come  away.  When  she  's  at  'ome, 
instead  o'  being  out  with  Towson,  direckly  her 
mother's  back  's  turned  she 's  out  with  that  young 
sprig  of  a  clerk." 

"Nice-looking  young  feller,  I  s'pose?"  said  the 
mate  somewhat  anxiously. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  the  other  firmly.  "  Looks 
as  though  he  had  never  had  a  good  meal  in  his  life. 
Now  my  friend  Towson,  he's  all  right;  he's  a 
man  of  about  my  own  figger." 

"  She  '11  marry  the  clerk,"   said  the  mate,  with 
conviction. 
>     "  I  '11  bet  you  she  don't,"  said  the  skipper.    "  I  'm 

[14] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

an  artful  man,  Jack,  an'  I,  generally  speaking,  gel 
my  own  way.  I  could  n't  live  with  my  missus 
peaceable  if  it  was  n't  for  management." 

The  mate  smiled  safely  in  the  darkness,  the 
skipper's  management  consisting  chiefly  of  slavish 
obedience. 

"  I  've  got  a  cabinet  forty  graph  of  him  for  the 
cabin  mantel-piece,  Jack,"  continued  the  wily  father. 
"  He  gave  it  to  me  o'  purpose.  She  '11  see  that  when 
she  won't  see  the  clerk,  an'  by-and-bye  she  '11  fall 
into  our  way  of  thinking.  Anyway,  she  's  going  to 
stay  here  till  she  does." 

"  You  know  your  way  about,  cap'n,"  said  the 
mate,  in  pretended  admiration. 

The  skipper  laid  his  ringer  on  his  nose,  and 
winked  at  the  mainmast.  "  There  's  few  can  show 
me  the  way,  Jack,"  he  answered  softly;  "  very  few. 
Now  I  want  you  to  help  me  too;  I  want  you  to 
talk  to  her  a  great  deal." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  mate,  winking  at  the  mast  in 
his  turn. 

"  Admire  the  forty  graph  on  the  mantel-piece," 
said  the  skipper. 

"  I  will,"  said  the  other. 

"  Tell  her  about  a  lot  o'  young  girls  you  know 
as  married  young  middle-aged  men,  an'  loved  'em 
more  an'  more  every  day  of  their  lives,"  continued 
the  skipper. 

"  Not  another  word,"  said  the  mate.  "  I  know 
just  what  you  want.  She  shan't  marry  the  clerk  if 
I  can  help  it." 

The  other  turned  and  gripped  him  warmly  by  the 
hand.  "  If  ever  you  are  a  father  yourself,  Jack," 


he  said  with  emotion,  "  I  hope  as  how  somebody  '11 
stand  by  you  as  you  're  standing  by  me." 

The  mate  was  relieved  the  next  day  when  lie 
saw  the  portrait  of  Towson.  He  stroked  his  mous- 
tache, and  felt  that  he  gained  in  good  looks  every 
time  he  glanced  at  it. 

Breakfast  finished,  the  skipper,  who  had  been  on 
deck  all  night,  retired  to  his  bunk.  The  mate  went 
on  deck  and  took  charge,  watching  with  great  in- 
terest the  movements  of  the  passenger  as  she  peered 
into  the  galley  and  hotly  assailed  the  cook's  method 
of  washing  up. 

"Don't  you  like  the  sea?"  he  inquired  politely, 
as  she  came  and  sat  on  the  cabin  skylight. 

Miss  Alsen  shook  her  head  dismally.  "  I  've  got 
to  like  it,"  she  remarked. 

"  Your  father  was  saying  something  to  me  about 
it,"  said  the  mate  guardedly. 

"  Did  he  tell  the  cook  and  the  cabin  boy  too?  " 
inquired  Miss  Alsen,  flushing  somewhat.  "  What 
did  he  tell  you  ?  " 

"  Told  me  about  a  man  named  Towson,"  said 
the  mate,  becoming  intent  on  the  sails,  "  and  —  an- 
other fellow." 

"  I  took  a  little  notice  of  him  just  to  spoil  the 
other,"  said  the  girl,  "  not  that  I  cared  for  him. 
I  can't  understand  a  girl  caring  for  any  man.  Great, 
clumsy,  ugly  things." 

"You  don't  like  him  then?"  said  the  mate. 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  the  girl,  tossing  her  head. 

"  And  yet  they  've  sent  you  to  sea  to  get  out  of 
his  way,"  said  the  mate  meditatively.  "  Well,  the 

best  thing  you  can  do  " 

[16] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

His  hardihood  failed  him  at  the  pitch. 

"  Go  on,"  jsaid  the  girl. 

"  Well,  it 's  this  way,"  said  the  mate,  coughing; 
"  they  've  sent  you  to  sea  to  get  you  out  of  this 
fellow's  way,  so  if  you  fall  in  love  with  somebody 
on  the  ship  they  '11  send  you  home  again." 

"  So  they  will,"  said  the  girl  eagerly.  "  I  '11  pre- 
tend to  fall  in  love  with  that  nice-looking  sailor  you 
call  Harry.  What  a  lark!" 

"  I  should  n't  do  that,"  said  the  mate  gravely. 

"  Why  not?  "  said  the  girl. 

" 'T  is  n't  discipline,"  said  the  mate  very  firmly; 
"  it  would  n't  do  at  all.  He  's  before  the  mast." 

"  Oh,  I  see,"  remarked  Miss  Alsen,  smiling  scorn- 
fully. 

"  I  only  mean  pretend,  of  course,"  said  the  mate, 
colouring.  "Just  to  oblige  you." 

"  Of  course,"  said  the  girl  calmly.  "  Well,  how 
are  we  to  be  in  love?  " 

The  mate  flushed  darkly.  "  I  don't  know  much 
about  such  things,"  he  said  at  length ;  "  but  we  '11 
have  to  look  at  each  other,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing,  you  know." 

"  I  don't  mind  that,"  said  the  girl. 

"  Then  we  '11  get  on  by  degrees,"  said  the  other. 
"  I  expect  we  shall  both  find  it  come  easier  after  a 
time." 

"  Anything  to  get  home  again,"  said  the  girl, 
rising  and  walking  slowly  away. 

The  mate  began  his  part  of  the  love-making  at 
once,  and,  fixing  a  gaze  of  concentrated  love  on  the 
object  of  his  regard,  nearly  ran  down  a  smack.  As 
he  had  prognosticated,  it  came  easy  to  him,  and 

[17] 


MANY    CARGOES 

other  well-marked  symptoms,  such  as  loss  of  appe- 
tite and  a  partiality  for  bright  colours,  developed 
during  the  day.  Between  breakfast  and  tea  he 
washed  five  times,  and  raised  the  ire  of  the  skipper 
to  a  dangerous  pitch  by  using  the  ship's  butter  to 
remove  tar  from  his  fingers. 

By  ten  o'clock  that  night  he  was  far  advanced  in 
a  profound  melancholy.  All  the  looking  had  been 
on  his  side,  and,  as  he  stood  at  the  wheel  keeping 
the  schooner  to  her  course,  he  felt  a  fellow-feeling 
for  the  hapless  Towson.  His  meditations  were  in- 
terrupted by  a  slight  figure  which  emerged  from 
the  companion,  and,  after  a  moment's  hesitation, 
came  and  took  its  old  seat  on  the  skylight. 

"  Calm  and  peaceful  up  here,  is  n't  it?  "  said  he, 
after  waiting  some  time  for  her  to  speak.  "  Stars 
are  very  bright  to-night." 

"  Don't  talk  to  me,"  said  Miss  Alsen  snappishly. 
"  Why  does  n't  this  nasty  little  ship  keep  still  ?  I 
believe  it 's  you  making  her  jump  about  like  this." 

"  Me?  "  said  the  mate  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,  with  that  wheel." 

"  I  can  assure  you  " began  the  mate. 

"  Yes,  I  knew  you  'd  say  so,"  said  the  girl. 

"  Come  and  steer  yourself,"  said  the  mate ;  "  then 
you  '11  see." 

Much  to  his  surprise  she  came,  and,  leaning  limply 
against  the  wheel,  put  her  little  hands  on  the  spokes, 
while  the  mate  explained  the  mysteries  of  the  com- 
pass. As  he  warmed  with  his  subject  he  ventured 
to  put  his  hands  on  the  same  spokes,  and,  gradually 
becoming  more  venturesome,  boldly  supported  her 
with  his  arm  every  time  the  schooner  gave  a  lurch* 

[18] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Miss  Alsen,  coldly  extricating 
herself,  as  the  mate  fancied  another  lurch  was  com- 
ing. "  Good-night." 

She  retired  to  the  cabin  as  a  dark  figure,  which 
was  manfully  knuckling  the  last  remnant  of  sleep 
from  its  eyelids,  stood  before  the  mate,  chuckling 
softly. 

"  Clear  night,"  said  the  seaman,  as  he  took  the 
wheel  in  his  great  paws. 

"  Beastly,"  said  the  mate  absently,  and,  stifling 
a  sigh,  went  below  and  turned  in. 

He  lay  awake  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then,  well 
satisfied  with  the  day's  proceedings,  turned  over 
and  fell  asleep.  He  was  pleased  to  discover,  when 
he  awoke,  that  the  slight  roll  of  the  night  before 
had  disappeared,  and  that  there  was  hardly  any 
motion  on  the  schooner.  The  passenger  herself 
was  already  at  the  breakfast-table. 

"  Cap'n  's  on  deck,  I  s'pose?"  said  the  mate, 
preparing  to  resume  negotiations  where  they  were 
broken  off  the  night  before.  "  I  hope  you  feel 
better  than  you  did  last  night." 

"  Yes,  thank  you,"  said  she. 

"  You  '11  make  a  good  sailor  in  time,"  said  the 
mate. 

"  I  hope  not,"  said  Miss  Alsen,  who  thought  it 
time  to  quell  a  gleam  of  peculiar  tenderness  plainly 
apparent  in  the  mate's  eyes.  "  I  should  n't  like  to 
be  a  sailor  even  if  I  were  a  man." 

"  Why  not,"  inquired  the  other. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  girl  meditatively;  "but 
sailors  are  generally  such  scrubby  little  men,  are  n't 
they?" 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Scrubby?  "  repeated  the  mate,  in  a  dazed  voice. 

"  I  'd  sooner  be  a  soldier,"  she  continued ;  "  I 
like  soldiers  —  they  're  so  manly.  I  wish  there  was 
one  here  now." 

"What  for?"  inquired  the  mate,  in  the  manner 
of  a  sulky  schoolboy. 

"  If  there  was  a  man  like  that  here  now,"  said 
Miss  Alsen  thoughtfully,  "  I  'd  dare  him  to  mustard 
old  Towson's  nose." 

"  Do  what  ?  "  inquired  the  astonished  mate. 

"  Mustard  old  Towson's  nose,"  said  Miss  Alsen, 
glancing  lightly  from  the  cruet-stand  to  the  portrait. 

The  infatuated  man  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then, 
reaching  over  to  the  cruet,  took  out  the  spoon,  and 
with  a  pale,  determined  face,  indignantly  daubed 
the  classic  features  of  the  provision  dealer.  His 
indignation  was  not  lessened  by  the  behaviour  of 
the  temptress,  who,  instead  of  fawning  upon  him 
for  his  bravery,  crammed  her  handkerchief  to  her 
mouth  and  giggled  foolishly. 

"  Here 's  father/'  she  said  suddenly,  as  a  step 
sounded  above.  "  Oh,  you  will  get  it!  " 

She  rose  from  her  seat,  and,  standing  aside  to  let 
her  father  pass,  went  on  deck.  The  skipper  sank  on 
to  a  locker,  and,  raising  the  tea-pot,  poured  himself 
out  a  cup  of  tea,  which  he  afterwards  decanted  into 
a  saucer.  He  had  just  raised  it  to  his  lips,  when  he 
saw  something  over  the  rim  of  it  which  made  him 
put  it  down  again  untasted,  and  stare  blankly  at  the 
mantel-piece. 

"  Who  the  —  what  the  —  who  the  devil 's  done 
this?  "  he  inquired  in  a  strangulated  voice,  as  he  rose 
and  regarded  the  portrait. 

[20] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

"  I  did,"  said  the  mate. 

"You  did?"  roared  the  other.  "You?  What 
for?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  mate  awkwardly. 
"  Something  seemed  to  come  over  me  all  of  a 
sudden,  and  I  felt  as  though  I  must  do  it." 

"  But  what  for?  Where  's  the  sense  of  it?  "  said 
the  skipper. 

The  mate  shook  his  head  sheepishly. 

"  But  what  did  you  want  to  do  such  a  monkey- 
trick  for?  "  roared  the  skipper. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  mate  doggedly ;  "  but 
it's  done,  ain't  it?  and  it's  no  good  talking  about 
it." 

The  skipper  looked  at  him  in  wrathful  perplexity. 
"  You  'd  better  have  advice  when  we  get  to  port, 
Jack,"  he  said  at  length ;  "  the  last  few  weeks  I  've 
noticed  you  've  been  a  bit  strange  in  your  manner. 
You  go  an'  show  that  'ed  of  yours  to  a  doctor." 

The  mate  grunted,  and  went  on  deck  for  sym- 
pathy, but,  finding  Miss  Alsen  in  a  mood  far  re- 
moved from  sentiment,  and  not  at  all  grateful,  drew 
off  whistling.  Matters  were  in  this  state  when  the 
skipper  appeared,  wiping  his  mouth. 

"  I  've  put  another  portrait  on  the  mantel-piece, 
Jack,"  he  said  menacingly ;  "  it 's  the  only  other  one 
I  've  got,  an'  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  if  that 
only  smells  mustard,  there  '11  be  such  a  row  in  this 
'ere  ship  that  you  won't  be  able  to  'ear  yourself 
speak  for  the  noise." 

He  moved  off  with  dignity  as  his  daughter,  who 
had  overheard  the  remark,  came  sidling  up  to  the 
mate  and  smiled  on  him  agreeably. 

[21] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  He 's  put  another  portrait  there,"  she  said 
softly. 

"  You  '11  find  the  mustard-pot  in  the  cruet,"  said 
the  mate  coldly. 

Miss  Alsen  turned  and  watched  her  father  as  he 
went  forward,  and  then,  to  the  mate's  surprise,  went 
below  without  another  word.  A  prey  to  curiosity, 
but  too  proud  to  make  any  overture,  he  compro- 
mised matters  by  going  and  standing  near  the 
companion. 

"  Mate!"  said  a  stealthy  whisper  at  the  foot  of 
the  ladder. 

The  mate  gazed  calmly  out  to  sea. 

"  Jack ! "  said  the  girl  again,  in  a  lower  whisper 
than  before. 

The  mate  went  hot  all  over,  and  at  once  de- 
scended. He  found  Miss  Alsen,  her  eyes  sparkling, 
with  the  mustard-pot  in  her  left  hand  and  the  spoon 
in  her  right,  executing  a  war-dance  in  front  of  the 
second  portrait. 

"  Don't  do  it,"  said  the  mate,  in  alarm. 

"  Why  not?  "  she  inquired,  going  within  an  inch 
of  it 

"  He  '11  think  it 's  me,"  said  the  mate. 

"  That 's  why  I  called  you  down  here,"  said  she; 
"  you  don't  think  I  wanted  you,  do  you?  " 

"  You  put  that  spoon  down,"  said  the  mate,  who 
was  by  no  means  desirous  of  another  interview  with 
the  skipper. 

"Shan't!"  said  Miss  Alsen. 

The  mate  sprang  at  her,  but  she  dodged  round  the 
table.  He  leaned  over,  and,  catching  her  by  the  left 
arm,  drew  her  towards  him ;  then,  with  her  flushed, 

[22] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

laughing  face  close  to  his,  he  forgot  everything  else, 
and  kissed  her. 

"Oh!"  said  Hetty  indignantly. 

"  Will  you  give  it  to  me  now  ?  "  said  the  mate, 
trembling  at  his  boldness. 

"  Take  it,"  said  she.  She  leaned  across  the  table, 
and,  as  the  mate  advanced,  dabbed  viciously  at  him 
with  the  spoon.  Then  she  suddenly  dropped  both 
articles  on  the  table  and  moved  away,  as  the  mate, 
startled  by  a  footstep  at  the  door,  turned  a  flushed 
visage,  ornamented  with  three  streaks  of  mustard, 
on  to  the  dumbfounded  skipper. 

"  Sakes  alive!"  said  that  astonished  mariner,  as 
soon  as  he  could  speak ;  "  if  he  ain't  a-mustarding 
his  own  face  now  —  I  never  'card  of  such  a  thing  in 
all  my  life.  Don't  go  near  'im,  Hetty.  Jack !  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  mate,  wiping  his  smarting  face 
with  his  handkerchief. 

"  You  've  never  been  took  like  this  before  ? " 
queried  the  skipper  anxiously. 

"  O'  course  not,"  said  the  mortified  mate. 

"  Don't  you  say  o'  course  not  to  me,"  said  the 
other  warmly,  "  after  behaving  like  this.  A  straight 
weskit  's  what  you  want.  I  '11  go  an'  see  old  Ben 
about  it.  He 's  got  an  uncle  in  a  'sylum.  You  come 
up  too,  my  girl" 

He  went  in  search  of  Ben,  oblivious  of  the  fact 
that  his  daughter,  instead  of  following  him,  came 
no  farther  than  the  door,  where  she  stood  and  re- 
garded her  victim  compassionately. 

"  I  'm  so  sorry,"  she  said.    "  Does  it  smart?  *~ 

"A  little,"  said  the  mate;  "don't  you  trouble 
about  me." 

[23] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  You  see  what  you  get  for  behaving  badly,"  said 
Miss  Alsen  judicially. 

"  It 's  worth  it,"  said  the  mate,  brightening. 

"  I  'm  afraid  it  '11  blister,"  said  she.  She  crossed 
over  to  him,  and  putting  her  head  on  one  side,  eyed 
the  traces  wisely.  "  Three  marks,"  she  said. 

"  I  only  had  one,"  suggested  the  mate. 

"  One  what?  "  enquired  Hetty. 

"  Those,"  said  the  mate. 

In  full  view  of  the  horrified  skipper,  who  was 
cautiously  peeping  at  the  supposed  lunatic  through 
the  skylight,  he  kissed  her  again. 

"  You  can  go  away,  Ben,"  said  the  skipper  huskily 
to  the  expert.  "  D'  ye  hear,  you  can  go  away,  and 
not  a  word  about  this,  mind." 

The  expert  went  away  grumbling,  and  the 
father,  after  another  glance,  which  showed  him 
his  daughter  nestling  comfortably  on  the  mate's 
right  shoulder,  stole  away  and  brooded  darkly  over 
this  crowning  complication.  An  ordinary  man 
would  have  run  down  and  interrupted  them;  the 
master  of  the  Jessica  thought  he  could  attain  his 
ends  more  certainly  by  diplomacy,  and  so  careful 
was  his  demeanour  that  the  couple  in  the  cabin  had 
no  idea  that  they  had  been  observed  —  the  mate 
listening  calmly  to  a  lecture  on  incipient  idiocy 
which  the  skipper  thought  it  advisable  to  bestow. 

Until  the  mid-day  meal  on  the  day  following  he 
made  no  sign.  If  anything  he  was  even  more  affable 
than  usual,  though  his  wrath  rose  at  the  glances 
which  were  being  exchanged  across  the  table. 

"  By  the  way,  Jack,"  he  said  at  length,  "  what 's 
become  of  Kitty  Loney?  " 

[24] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

"Who?"  inquired  the  mate.  "Who's  Kitty 
Loney?" 

It  was  now  the  skipper's  turn  to  stare,  and  he  did 
it  admirably. 

"  Kitty  Loney,"  he  said  in  surprise,  "  the  little 
girl  you  are  going  to  marry." 

"  Who  are  you  getting  at?  "  said  the  mate,  going 
scarlet  as  he  met  the  gaze  opposite. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  said  the  skipper 
with  dignity.  "  I  'm  allooding  to  Kitty  Loney,  the 
little  girl  in  the  red  hat  and  white  feathers  you  in- 
troduced to  me  as  your  future." 

The  mate  sank  back  in  his  seat,  and  regarded  him 
with  open-mouthed,  horrified  astonishment. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  've  chucked  'er," 
pursued  the  heartless  skipper,  "  after  getting  an  ad- 
vance from  me  to  buy  the  ring  with,  too  ?  Did  n't 
you  buy  the  ring  with  the  money?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  mate,  "I  —  oh,  no  —  of  course 
—  what  on  earth  are  you  talking  about?" 

The  skipper  rose  from  his  seat  and  regarded  him 
sorrowfully  but  severely.  "  I  'm  sorry,  Jack,"  he 
said  stiffly,  "  if  I  've  said  anything  to  annoy  you,  or 
anyway  hurt  your  feelings.  O'  course  it 's  your 
business,  not  mine.  P'raps  you  '11  say  you  never 
heard  o'  Kitty  Loney  ?  " 

"  I  do  say  so,"  said  the  bewildered  mate;  "  I  do 
say  so." 

The  skipper  eyed  him  sternly,  and  without  an- 
other word  left  the  cabin.  "  If  she 's  like  her 
mother,"  he  said  to  himself,  chuckling  as  he  went 
up  the  companion-ladder,  "  I  think  that  '11  do." 

There  was  an  awkward  pause  after  his  departure. 

[25] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  you  must  think  of 
me,"  said  the  mate  at  length,  "  but  I  don't  know 
what  your  father  's  talking  about." 

"  I  don't  think  anything,"  said  Hetty  calmly. 
"  Pass  the  potatoes,  please." 

"  I  suppose  it 's  a  joke  of  his,"  said  the  mate, 
complying. 

"  And  the  salt,"  said  she ;   "  thank  you." 

"But  you  don't  believe  it?"  said  the  mate  pa- 
thetically. 

"  Oh,  don't  be  silly,"  said  the  girl  calmly.  "  What 
does  it  matter  whether  I  do  or  not  ?  " 

"  It  matters  a  great  deal,"  said  the  mate  gloomily. 
"  It 's  life  or  death  to  me." 

"  Oh,  nonsense,"  said  Hetty.  "  She  won't  know 
of  your  foolishness.  I  won't  tell  her." 

"  I  tell  you,"  said  the  mate  desperately,  "  there 
never  was  a  Kitty  Loney.  What  do  you  think  of 
that?" 

"  I  think  you  are  very  mean,"  said  the  girl  scorn- 
fully ;  "  don't  talk  to  me  any  more,  please." 

"  Just  as  you  like,"  said  the  mate,  beginning  to 
lose  his  temper. 

He  pushed  his  plate  from  him  and  departed, 
while  the  girl,  angry  and  resentful,  put  the  potatoes 
back  as  being  too  floury  for  consumption  in  the 
circumstances. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  passage  she  treated  him 
with  a  politeness  and  good  humour  through  which 
he  strove  in  vain  to  break.  To  her  surprise  her 
father  made  no  objection,  at  the  end  of  the  voyage, 
when  she  coaxingly  suggested  going  back  by 
train;  and  the  mate,  as  they  sat  at  dummy- 
[26] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

whist  on  the  evening  before  her  departure,  tried 
in  vain  to  discuss  the  journey  in  an  unconcerned 
fashion. 

"  It  '11  be  a  long  journey,"  said  Hetty,  who  still 
liked  him  well  enough  to  make  him  smart  a  bit 
"What's  trumps?" 

"  You  '11  be  all  right,"  said  her  father.    "  Spades." 

He  won  for  the  third  time  that  evening,  and,  feel- 
ing wonderfully  well  satisfied  with  the  way  in  which 
he  had  played  his  cards  generally,  could  not  resist 
another  gibe  at  the  crestfallen  mate. 

"  You  '11  have  to  give  up  playing  cards  and  all 
that  sort  o'  thing  when  you  're  married,  Jack," 
said  he. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  mate  recklessly,  "  Kitty  don't 
like  cards." 

"  I  thought  there  was  no  Kitty,"  said  the  girl, 
looking  up,  scornfully. 

"  She  don't  like  cards,"  repeated  the  mate. 
"  Lord,  what  a  spree  we  had,  cap'n,  when  we  went 
to  the  Crystal  Palace  with  her  that  night." 

"  Ay,  that  we  did,"  said  the  skipper. 

"Remember  the  roundabouts?"  said  the  mate. 

"  I  do,"  said  the  skipper  merrily.  "  I  '11  never 
forget  'em." 

"  You  and  that  friend  of  hers,  Bessie  Watson, 
lord  how  you  did  go  on !  "  continued  the  mate,  in  a 
sort  of  ecstasy. 

The  skipper  stiffened  suddenly  in  his  chair. 
"What  on  earth  are  you  talking  about?"  he  in- 
quired gruffly. 

"  Bessie  Watson,"  said  the  mate,  in  tones  of 
innocent  surprise.  "  Little  girl  in  a  blue  hat 

.[27] 


MANY    CARGOES 

•with  white  feathers,  and  a  blue  frock,  that  came 
with  us." 

"  You  're  drunk,"  said  the  skipper,  grinding 
his  teeth,  as  he  saw  the  trap  into  which  he  had 
walked. 

"  Don't  you  remember  when  you  two  got  lost,  an' 
me  and  Kitty  were  looking  all  over  the  place  for 
you  ?  "  demanded  the  mate,  still  in  the  same  tones 
of  pleasant  reminiscence. 

He  caught  Hetty's  eye,  and  noticed  with  a  thrill 
that  it  beamed  with  soft  and  respectful  admiration. 

"  You  've  been  drinking,"  repeated  the  skipper, 
breathing  hard.  "  How  dare  you  talk  like  that  afore 
my  daughter  ?  " 

"  It 's  only  right  I  should  know,"  said  Hetty, 
drawing  herself  up.  "  I  wonder  what  mother  '11 
say  to  it  all  ?  " 

"  You  say  anything  to  your  mother  if  you  dare," 
said  the  now  maddened  skipper.  "  You  know  what 
she  is.  It 's  all  the  mate's  nonsense." 

"  I  'm  very  sorry,  cap'n,"  said  the  mate,  "  if  I  've 
said  anything  to  annoy  you,  or  anyway  hurt  your 
feelings.  O'  course  it 's  your  business-,  not  mine. 
Perhaps  you  '11  say  you  never  heard  o'  Bessie 
Watson?" 

"  Mother  shall  hear  of  her,"  said  Hetty,  while 
her  helpless  sire  was  struggling  for  breath. 

"  Perhaps  you  '11  tell  us  who  this  Bessie  Watson 
is,  and  where  she  lives?  "  he  said  at  length. 

"  She  lives  with  Kitty  Loney,"  said  the  mate 
simply. 

The  skipper  rose,  and  his  demeanour  was  so 
alarming  that  Hetty  shrank  instinctively  to  the  mate 

[28] 


A    LOVE    PASSAGE 

for  protection.  In  full  view  of  his  captain,  the  mate 
placed  his  arm  about  her  waist,  and  in  this  position 
they  confronted  each  other  for  some  time  in  silence. 
Then  Hetty  looked  up  and  spoke. 

"  I  'm  going  home  by  water,"  she  said  briefly. 


[29] 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  EXPLOIT 

IT  was  a  wet,  dreary  night  in  that  cheerless  part 
of  the  great  metropolis  known  as  Wapping. 
The  rain,  which  had  been  falling  heavily  for 
hours,  still  fell  steadily  on  to  the  sloppy  pavements 
and  roads,  and  joining  forces  in  the  gutter,  rushed 
impetuously  to  the  nearest  sewer.  The  two  or  three 
streets  which  had  wedged  themselves  in  between  the 
docks  and  the  river,  and  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
really  comprise  the  beginning  and  end  of  Wapping, 
were  deserted,  except  for  a  belated  van  crashing  over 
the  granite  roads,  or  the  chance  form  of  a  dock- 
labourer  plodding  doggedly  along,  with  head  bent 
in  distaste  for  the  rain,  and  hands  sunk  in  trouser- 
pockets. 

"  Beastly  night,"  said  Captain  Bing,  as  he  rolled 
out  of  the  private  bar  of  the  "  Sailor's  Friend,"  and, 
ignoring  the  presence  of  the  step,  took  a  little  hur- 
ried run  across  the  pavement.  "  Not  fit  for  a  dog 
to  be  out  in." 

He  kicked,  as  he  spoke,  at  a  shivering  cur  which 
was  looking  in  at  the  crack  of  the  bar-door,  with  a 
hazy  view  of  calling  its  attention  to  the  matter,  and 
then,  pulling  up  the  collar  of  his  rough  pea-jacket, 
stepped  boldly  out  into  the  rain.  Three  or  four 
minutes'  walk,  or  rather  roll,  brought  him  to  a  dark 


THE    CAPTAIN'S    EXPLOIT 

narrow  passage,  which  ran  between  two  houses  to 
the  water-side.  By  a  slight  tack  to  starboard  at  a 
critical  moment  he  struck  the  channel  safely,  and 
followed  it  until  it  ended  in  a  flight  of  old  stone 
steps,  half  of  which  were  under  water. 

"  Where  for?  "  inquired  a  man,  starting  up  from 
a  small  penthouse  formed  of  rough  pieces  of  board. 

"  Schooner  in  the  tier,  Smiling  Jane,"  said  the 
captain  gruffly,  as  he  stumbled  clumsily  into  a  boat 
and  sat  down  in  the  stern.  "  Why  don't  you  have 
better  seats  in  this  'ere  boat?  " 

"  They  're  there,  if  you  '11  look  for  them,"  said 
the  waterman ;  "  and  you  '11  find  'em  easier  sitting 
than  that  bucket." 

"  Why  don't  you  put  'em  where  a  man  can  see 
'em  ?  "  inquired  the  captain,  raising  his  voice  a  little. 

The  other  opened  his  mouth  to  reply,  but  realising 
that  it  would  lead  to  a  long  and  utterly  futile  argu- 
ment, contented  himself  with  asking  his  fare  to  trim 
the  boat  better;  and,  pushing  off  from  the  steps, 
pulled  strongly  through  the  dark  lumpy  water.  The 
tide  was  strong,  so  that  they  made  but  slow  progress. 

"  When  I  was  a  young  man,"  said  the  fare  with 
severity,  "  I  'd  ha'  pulled  this  boat  across  and  back 
afore  now." 

"  When  you  was  a  young  man,"  said  the  man  at 
the  oars,  who  had  a  local  reputation  as  a  wit,  "  there 
was  n't  no  boats ;  they  was  all  Noah's  arks  then." 

"  Stow  your  gab,"  said  the  captain,  after  a  pause 
of  deep  thought. 

The  other,  whose  besetting  sin  was  certainly  not 
loquacity,  ejected  a  thin  stream  of  tobacco- juice  over 
the  side,  spat  on  his  hands,  and  continued  his  labo- 


MANY    CARGOES 

rious  work  until  a  crowd  of  dark  shapes,  sur- 
mounted by  a  network  of  rigging,  loomed  up  before 
them. 

"  Now,  which  is  your  little  barge?  "  he  inquired, 
tugging  strongly  to  maintain  his  position  against 
the  fast-flowing  tide. 

"  Smiling  Jane,"  said  his  fare. 

"Ah,"  said  the  waterman,  "Smiling  Jane,  is  it? 
You  sit  there,  cap'n,  an'  I  '11  row  round  all  their 
sterns  while  you  strike  matches  and  look  at  the 
names.  We  '11  have  quite  a  nice  little  evening." 

"  There  she  is,"  cried  the  captain,  who  was  too 
muddled  to  notice  the  sarcasm ;  "  there  's  the  little 
beauty.  Steady,  my  lad." 

He  reached  out  his  hand  as  he  spoke,  and  as  the 
boat  jarred  violently  against  a  small  schooner,  seized 
a  rope  which  hung  over  the  side,  and,  swaying  to 
and  fro,  fumbled  in  his  pocket  for  the  fare. 

"  Steady,  old  boy,"  said  the  waterman  affection- 
ately. He  had  just  received  twopence-halfpenny 
and  a  shilling  by  mistake  for  threepence.  "  Easy 
up  the  side.  You  ain't  such  a  pretty  figger  as 
you  was  when  your  old  woman  made  such  a 
bad  bargain." 

The  captain  paused  in  his  climb,  and  poising  him- 
self on  one  foot,  gingerly  felt  for  his  tormentor's 
head  with  the  other.  Not  rinding  it,  he  flung  his  leg 
over  the  bulwark,  and  gained  the  deck  of  the  vessel 
as  the  boat  swung  round  with  the  tide  and  disap- 
peared in  the  darkness. 

"  All  turned  in,"  said  the  captain,  gazing  owlishly 
at  the  deserted  deck.  "  Well,  there  's  a  good  hour 
an'  a  half  afore  we  start ;  I  '11  turn  in  too." 

[32] 


THE    CAPTAIN'S    EXPLOIT 

He  walked  slowly  aft,  and  sliding  back  the  com- 
panion-hatch, descended  into  a  small  evil-smelling 
cabin,  and  stood  feeling  in  the  darkness  for  the 
matches.  They  were  not  to  be  found,  and,  growl- 
ing profanely,  he  felt  his  way  to  the  state-room, 
and  turned  in  all  standing. 

It  was  still  dark  when  he  awoke,  and  hanging  over 
the  edge  of  the  bunk,  cautiously  felt  for  the  floor 
with  his  feet,  and  having  found  it,  stood  thought- 
fully scratching  his  head,  which  seemed  to  have 
swollen  to  abnormal  proportions. 

"  Time  they  were  getting  under  weigh,"  he  said 
at  length,  and  groping  his  way  to  the  foot  of  the 
steps,  he  opened  the  door  of  what  looked  like  a 
small  pantry,  but  which  was  really  the  mate's 
boudoir. 

"  Jem,"  said  the  captain  gruffly. 

There  was  no  reply,  and  jumping  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  he  was  above,  the  captain  tumbled  up  the 
steps  and  gained  the  deck,  which,  as  far  as  he  could 
see,  was  in  the  same  deserted  condition  as  when  he 
left  it.  Anxious  to  get  some  idea  of  the  time,  he 
staggered  to  the  side  and  looked  over.  The  tide  was 
almost  at  the  turn,  and  the  steady  clank,  clank  of 
neighbouring  windlasses  showed  that  other  craft 
were  just  getting  under  weigh.  A  barge,  its  red 
light  turning  the  water  to  blood,  with  a  huge  wall 
of  dark  sail,  passed  noiselessly  by,  the  indistinct 
figure  of  a  man  leaning  skilfully  upon  the  tiller. 

As  these  various  signs  of  life  and  activity  ob- 
truded themselves  upon  the  skipper  of  the  Smiling 
Jane,  his  wrath  rose  higher  and  higher  as  he  looked 
around  the  wet,  deserted  deck  of  his  own  little  craft, 

3  [331 


MANY    CARGOES 

Then  he  walked  forward  and  thrust  his  head  down 
the  forecastle  hatchway. 

As  he  expected,  there  was  a  complete  sleeping 
chorus  below;  the  deep  satisfied  snoring  of  half-a- 
dozen  seamen,  who,  regardless  of  the  tide  and  their 
captain's  feelings,  were  slumbering  sweetly,  in  bliss- 
ful ignorance  of  all  that  the  Lancet  might  say  upon 
the  twin  subjects  of  overcrowding  and  ventilation. 

"  Below  there,  you  lazy  thieves !  "  roared  the  cap- 
tain ;  "  tumble  up,  tumble  up !  " 

The  snores  stopped.  "  Ay,  ay ! "  said  a  sleepy 
voice.  "  What 's  the  matter,  master?  " 

"  Matter !  "  repeated  the  other,  choking  violently. 
"Ain't  you  going  to  sail  to-night?" 

"  To-night ! "  said  another  voice,  in  surprise. 
"  Why,  I  thought  we  was  n't  going  to  sail  till 
Wen'sday." 

Not  trusting  himself  to  reply,  so  careful  was  he 
of  the  morals  of  his  men,  the  skipper  went  and 
leaned  over  the  side  and  communed  with  the  silent 
water.  In  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  five  or 
six  dusky  figures  pattered  up  on  to  the  deck,  and  a 
minute  or  two  later  the  harsh  clank  of  the  windlass 
echoed  far  and  wide. 

The  captain  took  the  wheel.  A  fat  and  very 
sleepy  seaman  put  up  the  side-lights,  and  the  little 
schooner,  detaching  itself  by  the  aid  of  boat- 
hooks  and  fenders  from  the  neighbouring  craft, 
moved  slowly  down  with  the  tide.  The  men,  in 
response  to  the  captain's  fervent  orders,  climbed 
aloft,  and  sail  after  sail  was  spread  to  the  gentle 
breeze. 

"  Hi !  you  there,"  cried  the  captain  to  one  of  the 

[34] 


THE    CAPTAIN'S    EXPLOIT 

men  who  stood  near  him,  coiling  up  some  loose 
line. 

"Sir?"  said  the  man. 

"  Where  is  the  mate?"  inquired  the  captain. 

"  Man  with  red  whiskers  and  pimply  nose?  "  said 
the  man  interrogatively. 

"  That 's  him  to  a  hair,"  answered  the  other. 

"  Ain't  seen  him  since  he  took  me  on  at  eleven," 
said  the  man. 

"  How  many  new  hands  are  there  ?  " 

"  I  b'leeve  we  're  all  fresh,"  was  the  reply.  "  I 
don't  believe  some  of  'em  have  ever  smelt  salt  water 
afore." 

"  The  mate 's  been  at  it  again,"  said  the  cap- 
tain warmly,  "  that 's  what  he  has.  He  's  done 
it  afore  and  got  left  behind.  Them  what  can't 
stand  drink,  my  man,  should  n't  take  it,  remember 
that." 

"  He  said  we  was  n't  going  to  sail  till  Wen'sday," 
remarked  the  man,  who  found  the  captain's  attitude 
rather  trying. 

"  He  '11  get  sacked,  that 's  what  he  '11  get,"  said 
the  captain  warmly.  "  I  shall  report  him  as  soon  as 
I  get  ashore." 

The  subject  exhausted,  the  seaman  returned  to 
his  work,  and  the  captain  continued  steering  in 
moody  silence. 

Slowly,  slowly  darkness  gave  way  to  light.  The 
different  portions  of  the  craft,  instead  of  all  being 
blurred  into  one,  took  upon  themselves  shape,  and 
stood  out  wet  and  distinct  in  the  cold  grey  of  the 
breaking  day.  But  the  lighter  it  became,  the  harder 
the  skipper  stared  and  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  looked 

[35] 


MANY    CARGOES 

from  the  deck  to  the  flat  marshy  shore,  and  from  the 
shore  back  to  the  deck  again. 

"  Here,  come  here,"  he  cried,  beckoning  to  one  of 
the  crew. 

"  Yessir,"  said  the  man,  advancing. 

"  There  's  something  in  one  of  my  eyes,"  faltered 
the  skipper.  "  I  can't  see  straight ;  everything 
seems  mixed  up.  Now,  speaking  deliberate  and 
without  any  hurry,  which  side  o'  the  ship  do  you 
say  the  cook's  galley  's  on?  " 

"  Starboard,"  said  the  man  promptly,  eyeing  him 
with  astonishment. 

"  Starboard,"  repeated  the  other  softly.  "  He 
says  starboard,  and  that 's  what  it  seems  to  me. 
My  lad,  yesterday  morning  it  was  on  the  port 
side." 

The  seaman  received  this  astounding  communi- 
cation with  calmness,  but,  as  a  slight  concession  to 
appearances,  said  "  Lor !  " 

"And  the  water-cask,"  said  the  skipper;  "what 
colour  is  it?  " 

"  Green,"  said  the  man. 

"Not  white?"  inquired  the  skipper,  leaning 
heavily  upon  the  wheel. 

"  Whitish-green,"  said  the  man,  who  always  be- 
lieved in  keeping  in  with  his  superior  officers. 

The  captain  swore  at  him. 

By  this  time  two  or  three  of  the  crew  who  had 
overheard  part  of  the  conversation  had  collected  aft, 
and  now  stood  in  a  small  wondering  knot  before 
their  strange  captain. 

"  My  lads,"  said  the  latter,  moistening  his  dry 
lips  with  his  tongue,  "  I  name  no  names  —  I  don't 

[36] 


THE    CAPTAIN'S    EXPLOIT 

know  'em  yet  —  and  I  cast  no  suspicions,  but  some- 
body has  been  painting  up  and  altering  this  'ere 
craft,  and  twisting  things  about  until  a  man  'ud 
hardly  know  her.  Now  what's  the  little  game?" 

There  was  no  answer,  and  the  captain,  who  was 
seeing  things  clearer  and  clearer  in  the  growing 
light,  got  paler  and  paler. 

"  I  must  be  going  crazy,"  he  muttered.  "  Is  this 
the  Smiling  Jane,  or  am  I  dreaming?" 

"  It  ain't  the  Smiling  Jane,"  said  one  of  the  sea- 
men; "  leastways,"  he  added  cautiously,  "  it  was  n't 
when  I  came  aboard." 

"Not  the  Smiling  Jane!"  roared  the  skipper; 
"what  is  it,  then?" 

"  Why,  the  Mary  Ann,"  chorused  the  astonished 
crew. 

"  My  lads,"  faltered  the  agonised  captain  after  a 

long  pause.  "  My  lads  " He  stopped  and 

swallowed  something  in  his  throat.  "  I  've  been  and 
brought  away  the  wrong  ship,"  he  continued  with 
an  effort;  "that's  what  I've  done.  I  must  have 
been  bewitched." 

"  Well,  who  's  having  the  little  game  now?  "  in- 
quired a  voice. 

"  Somebody  else  '11  be  sacked  as  well  as  the  mate," 
said  another. 

"  We  must  take  her  back,"  said  the  captain,  rais- 
ing his  voice  to  drown  these  mutterings.  "  Stand 
by  there !  " 

The  bewildered  crew  went  to  their  posts,  the  cap- 
tain gave  his  orders  in  a  voice  which  had  never  been 
so  subdued  and  mellow  since  it  broke  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  and  the  Mary  Ann  took  in  sail,  and,  drop- 

[37] 


MANY    CARGOES 

ping  her  anchor,  waited  patiently  for  the  turning 
of  the  tide. 

The  church  bells  in  Wapping  and  Rotherhithe 
were  just  striking  the  hour  of  mid-day,  though  they 
were  heard  by  few  above  the  noisy  din  of  workers  on 
wharves  and  ships,  as  a  short  stout  captain,  and  a 
mate  with  red  whiskers  and  a  pimply  nose,  stood  up 
in  a  waterman's  boat  in  the  centre  of  the  river,  and 
gazed  at  each  other  in  blank  astonishment. 

"She's  gone,  clean  gone!"  murmured  the  be- 
wildered captain. 

"  Clean  as  a  whistle,"  said  the  mate.  "  The  new 
hands  must  ha'  run  away  with  her." 

Then  the  bereaved  captain  raised  his  voice,  and 
pronounced  a  pathetic  and  beautiful  eulogy  upon 
the  departed  vessel,  somewhat  marred  by  an  appen- 
dix in  which  he  consigned  the  new  hands,  their  heirs, 
and  descendants,  to  everlasting  perdition. 

"  Ahoy ! "  said  the  waterman,  who  was  getting 
tired  of  the  business,  addressing  a  grimy-looking 
seaman  hanging  meditatively  over  the  side  of  a 
schooner.  "  Where  's  the  Mary  Ann?  " 

"  Went  away  at  half-past  one  this  morning,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  'Cos  here  's  the  cap'n  an'  the  mate,"  said  the 
waterman,  indicating  the  forlorn  couple  with  a  bob 
of  his  head. 

"  My  eyes !  "  said  the  man,  "  I  s'pose  the  cook  's 
in  charge  then.  We  was  to  have  gone  too,  but  our 
old  man  has  n't  turned  up." 

Quickly  the  news  spread  amongst  the  craft  in  the 
tier,  and  many  and  various  were  the  suggestions 

[38] 


THE    CAPTAIN'S    EXPLOIT 

shouted  to  the  bewildered  couple  from  the  different 
decks.  At  last,  just  as  the  captain  had  ordered  the 
waterman  to  return  to  the  shore,  he  was  startled  by 
a  loud  cry  from  the  mate. 

"  Look  there !  "  he  shouted. 

The  captain  looked.  Fifty  or  sixty  yards  away, 
a  small  shamefaced-looking  schooner,  so  it  appeared 
to  his  excited  imagination,  was  slowly  approaching 
them.  A  minute  later  a  shout  went  up  from  the 
other  craft  as  she  took  in  sail  and  bore  slowly  down 
upon  them.  Then  a  small  boat  put  off  to  the  buoy, 
and  the  Mary  Ann  was  slowly  warped  into  the  place 
she  had  left  ten  hours  before. 

But  while  all  this  was  going  on,  she  was  boarded 
by  her  captain  and  mate.  They  were  met  by  Cap- 
tain Bing,  supported  by  his  mate,  who  had  hastily 
pushed  off  from  the  Smiling  Jane  to  the  assistance 
of  his  chief.  In  the  two  leading  features  before 
mentioned  he  was  not  unlike  the  mate  of  the  Mary 
Ann,  and  much  stress  was  laid  upon  this  fact  by  the 
unfortunate  Bing  in  his  explanation.  So  much  so, 
in  fact,  that  both  the  mates  got  restless ;  the  skipper, 
who  was  a  plain  man,  and  given  to  calling  a  spade 
a  spade,  using  the  word  "pimply  "  with  what  seemed 
to  them  unnecessary  iteration. 

It  is  possible  that  the  interview  might  have  lasted 
for  hours  had  not  Bing  suddenly  changed  his  tactics 
and  begun  to  throw  out  dark  hints  about  standing 
a  dinner  ashore,  and  settling  it  over  a  friendly  glass. 
The  face  of  the  Mary  Ann's  captain  began  to  clear, 
and,  as  Bing  proceeded  from  generalities  to  details, 
a  soft  smile  played  over  his  expressive  features.  It 
was  reflected  in  the  faces  of  the  mates,  who  by  these 

[39J 


MANY    CARGOES 

means  showed  clearly  that  they  understood  the  table 
was  to  be  laid  for  four. 

At  this  happy  turn  of  affairs  Bing  himself  smiled, 
and  a  little  while  later  a  ship's  boat  containing  four 
boon  companions  put  off  from  the  Mary  Ann  and 
made  for  the  shore.  Of  what  afterwards  ensued 
there  is  no  distinct  record,  beyond  what  may  be 
gleaned  from  the  fact  that  the  quartette  turned  up  at 
midnight  arm-in-arm,  and  affectionately  refused  to 
be  separated  —  even  to  enter  the  ship's  boat,  which 
was  waiting  for  them.  The  sailors  were  at  first 
rather  nonplussed,  but  by  dint  of  much  coaxing  and 
argument  broke  up  the  party,  and  rowing  them 
to  their  respective  vessels,  put  them  carefully  to 
bed. 


[40] 


CONTRABAND   OF  WAR 

A  MALL  but  strong  lamp  was  burning  in 
the  fo'c'sle  of  the  schooner  Greyhound,  by 
the  light  of  which  a  middle-aged  seaman 
of  sedate  appearance  sat  crocheting  an  antimacassar. 
The  other  men  were  snoring  with  deep  content  in 
their  bunks,  while  a  small,  bright-eyed  boy  sat  up 
in  his,  reading  adventurous  fiction. 

"  Here  comes  old  Dan,"  said  the  man  with  the 
antimacassar  warningly,  as  a  pair  of  sea-boots  ap- 
peared at  the  top  of  the  companion-ladder ;  "  better 
not  let  him  see  you  with  that  paper,  Billee." 

The  boy  thrust  it  beneath  his  blankets,  and,  lying 
down,  closed  his  eyes  as  the  new-comer  stepped  on 
to  the  floor. 

"  All  asleep  ?  "  inquired  the  latter. 

The  other  man  nodded,  and  Dan,  without  any 
further  parley,  crossed  over  to  the  sleepers  and 
shook  them  roughly. 

"Eh!  wha 's  matter?"  inquired  the  sleepers 
plaintively. 

"  Git  up,"  said  Dan  impressively,  "  I  want  to 
speak  to  you.  Something  important." 

With  sundry  growls  the  men  complied,  and, 
thrusting  their  legs  out  of  their  bunks,  rolled  on  to 
the  locker,  and  sat  crossly  waiting  for  information. 

"  I  want  to  do  a  pore  chap  a  good  turn,"  said  Dan, 

[41] 


MANY    CARGOES 

watching  them  narrowly  out  of  his  little  black  eyes, 
"  an'  I  want  you  to  help  me;  an'  the  boy  too.  It 's 
never  too  young  to  do  good  to  your  fellow-creatures, 
Billy." 

"  I  know  it  ain't,"  said  Billy,  taking  this  as  per- 
mission to  join  the  group;  "  I  helped  a  drunken  man 
home  once  when  I  was  only  ten  years  old,  an'  when 
I  was  only  " 

The  speaker  stopped,  not  because  he  had  come  to 
the  end  of  his  remarks,  but  because  one  of  the  sea- 
men had  passed  his  arm  around  his  neck  and  was 
choking  him. 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  man  calmly ;  "  I  Ve  got  him. 
Spit  it  out,  Dan,  and  none  of  your  sermonising." 

"Well,  it's  like  this,  Joe,"  said  the  old  man; 
"  here  's  a  pore  chap,  a  young  sojer  from  the  depot 
here,  an'  he  's  cut  an'  run.  He  's  been  in  hiding  in 
a  cottage  up  the  road  two  days,  and  he  wants  to  git 
to  London,  and  git  honest  work  and  employment, 
not  shooting,  an'  stabbing,  an'  bayoneting  " 

"  Stow  it,"  said  Joe  impatiently. 

"  He  dare  n't  go  to  the  railway  station,  and  he 
dursen't  go  outside  in  his  uniform,"  continued  Dan. 
"  My  'art  bled  for  the  pore  young  feller,  an'  I  've 
promised  to  give  'im  a  little  trip  to  London  with  us. 
The  people  he  's  staying  with  won't  have  him  no 
longer.  They  've  only  got  one  bed,  and  directly  he 
sees  any  sojers  coming  he  goes  an'  gits  into  it, 
whether  he  's  got  his  boots  on  or  not." 

"  Have  you  told  the  skipper  ? "  inquired  Joe 
sardonically. 

"  I  won't  deceive  you,  Joe,  I  'ave  not,"  replied  the 
old  man.  "  He  '11  have  to  stay  down  here  of  a  day- 

.142] 


CONTRABAND    OF    WAR 

time,  an'  only  come  on  deck  of  a  night  when  it 's 
our  watch.  I  told  'im  what  a  lot  of  good-'arted 
chaps  you  was,  and  how  " 

"  How  much  is  he  going  to  give  you  ?  "  inquired 
Joe  impatiently. 

"  It 's  only  fit  and  proper  he  should  pay  a  little  for 
the  passage,"  said  Dan. 

"  How  much?  "  demanded  Joe,  banging  the  little 
triangular  table  with  his  fist,  and  thereby  causing  the 
man  with  the  antimacassar  to  drop  a  couple  of 
stitches. 

"  Twenty-five  shillings,"  said  old  Dan  reluctantly; 
"  an'  I  '11  spend  the  odd  five  shillings  on  you  chaps 
when  we  git  to  Limehouse." 

"  I  don't  want  your  money,"  said  Joe ;  "  there  's 
a  empty  bunk  he  can  have;  and  mind,  you  take  all 
the  responsibility  —  I  won't  have  nothing  to  do 
with  it." 

"  Thanks,  Joe,"  said  the  old  man,  with  a  sigh  of 
relief ;  "  he  's  a  nice  young  chap,  you  're  sure  to  take 
to  him.  I  '11  go  and  give  him  the  tip  to  come  aboard 
at  once." 

He  ran  up  on  deck  again  and  whistled  softly,  and 
a  figure,  which  had  been  hiding  behind  a  pile  of 
empties,  came  out,  and,  after  looking  cautiously 
around,  dropped  noiselessly  on  to  the  schooner's 
deck,  and  followed  its  protector  below. 

"  Good  evening,  mates,"  said  the  linesman,  gazing 
curiously  and  anxiously  round  him  as  he  deposited 
a  bundle  on  the  table,  and  laid  his  swagger  cane 
beside  it. 

"  What 's  your  height  ?  "  inquired  Joe  abruptly. 
"Seven  foot?" 

[43] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  No,  only  six  foot  four,"  said  the  new  arrival, 
modestly.  "  I  'm  not  proud  of  it.  It 's  much  easier 
for  a  small  man  to  slip  off  than  a  big  one." 

"It  licks  me,"  said  Joe  thoughtfully,  "what 
they  want  'em  back  for  —  I  should  think  they  'd  be 
glad  to  git  rid  o'  such  "  —  he  paused  a  moment 
while  politeness  struggled  with  feeling,  and  added, 
"  skunks." 

"  P'raps  I  've  a  reason  for  being  a  skunk,  p'raps  I 
haven't,"  retorted  Private  Smith,  as  his  face  fell. 

"  This '11  be  your  bunk,"  interposed  Dan  hastily; 
"  put  your  things  in  there,  and  when  you  are  in 
yourself  you  '11  be  as  comfortable  as  a  oyster  in  its 
shell." 

The  visitor  complied,  and,  first  extracting  from 
the  bundle  some  tins  of  meat  and  a  bottle  of  whiskey, 
which  he  placed  upon  the  table,  nervously  requested 
the  honour  of  the  present  company  to  supper.  With 
the  exception  of  Joe,  who  churlishly  climbed  back 
into  his  bunk,  the  men  complied,  all  agreeing  that 
boys  of  Billy's  age  should  be  reared  on  strong  tee- 
total principles. 

Supper  over,  Private  Smith  and  his  protectors 
retired  to  their  couches,  where  the  former  lay  in 
much  anxiety  until  two  in  the  morning,  when  they 
got  under  way. 

"  It 's  all  right,  my  lad,"  said  Dan,  after  the  watch 
had  been  set,  as  he  came  and  stood  by  the  deserter's 
bunk ;  "  I  've  saved  you  —  I  've  saved  you  for 
twenty-five  shillings." 

"  I  wish  it  was  more,"  said  Private  Smith  politely. 

The  old  man  sighed  —  and  waited. 

"  I  'm  quite  cleaned  out,  though,"  continued  the. 

[44] 


CONTRABAND    OF    WAR 

deserter,  "  except  fi'pence  ha'penny.  I  shall  have  to 
risk  going  home  in  my  uniform  as  it  is." 

"  Ah,  you  '11  get  there  all  right,"  said  Dan  cheer- 
fully ;  "  and  when  you  get  home  no  doubt  you  *ve 
got  friends,  and  if  it  seems  to  you  as  you  'd  like  to 
give  a  little  more  to  them  as  assisted  you  in  the  hour 
of  need,  you  won't  be  ungrateful,  my  lad,  I  know. 
You  ain't  the  sort." 

With  these  words  old  Dan,  patting  him  affection- 
ately, retired,  and  the  soldier  lay  trying  to  sleep  in 
his  narrow  quarters  until  he  was  aroused  by  a  grip 
on  his  arm. 

"  If  you  want  a  mouthful  of  fresh  air  you  'd  better 
come  on  deck  now,"  said  the  voice  of  Joe;  "  it 's  my 
watch.  You  can  get  all  the  sleep  you  want  in  the 
daytime." 

Glad  to  escape  from  such  stuffy  quarters,  Private 
Smith  clambered  out  of  his  bunk  and  followed  the 
other  on  deck.  It  was  a  fine  clear  night,  and  the 
schooner  was  going  along  under  a  light  breeze; 
the  seaman  took  the  wheel,  and,  turning  to  his 
companion,  abruptly  inquired  what  he  meant  by 
deserting  and  worrying  them  with  six  foot  four  of 
underdone  lobster. 

"  It 's  all  through  my  girl,"  said  Private  Smith 
meekly;  "  first  she  jilted  me,  and  made  me  join  the 
army ;  now  she 's  chucked  the  other  fellow,  and 
wrote  to  me  to  go  back." 

"  An'  now  I  s'pose  the  other  chap  '11  take  your 
place  in  the  army,"  said  Joe.  "  Why,  a  gal  like  that 
could  fill  a  regiment,  if  she  liked.  Pah !  They  '11 
nab  you  too,  in  that  uniform,  and  you  '11  get  six 
months,  and  have  to  finish  your  time  as  well." 


"  It 's  more  than  likely,"  said  the  soldier  gloomily. 
"  I  've  got  to  tramp  to  Manchester  in  these  clothes, 
as  far  as  I  can  see." 

"  What  did  you  give  old  Dan  all  your  money 
for?  "  inquired  Joe. 

"  I  was  only  thinking  of  getting  away  at  first," 
said  Smith,  "  and  I  had  to  take  what  was  offered." 

"  Well,  I  '11  do  what  I  can  for  you,"  said  the  sea- 
man. "  If  you  're  in  love,  you  ain't  responsible  for 
your  actions.  I  remember  the  first  time  I  got  the 
chuck.  I  went  into  a  public-house  bar,  and  smashed 
all  the  glass  and  bottles  I  could  get  at.  I  felt  as 
though  I  must  do  something.  If  you  were  only 
shorter,  I  'd  lend  you  some  clothes." 

"  You  're  a  brick,"  said  the  soldier  gratefully. 

"  I  have  n't  got  any  money  I  could  lend  you 
either,"  said  Joe.  "  I  never  do  have  any,  somehow. 
But  clothes  you  must  have." 

He  fell  into  deep  thought,  and  cocked  his  eye  aloft 
as  though  contemplating  a  cutting-out  expedition  on 
the  sails,  while  the  soldier,  sitting  on  the  side  of  the 
ship,  waited  hopefully  for  a  miracle. 

"  You  'd  better  get  below  again,"  said  Joe  pres- 
ently. "  There  seems  to  be  somebody  moving  be- 
low ;  and  if  the  skipper  sees  you,  you  're  done.  He's 
a  regular  Tartar,  and  he  's  got  a  brother  what 's  a 
sergeant-major  in  the  army.  He  'd  give  you  up 
d'rectly  if  he  spotted  you." 

"  I  'm  off,"  said  Smith ;  and  with  long,  cat-like 
strides  he  disappeared  swiftly  below. 

For  two  days  all  went  well,  and  Dan  was  begin- 
ning to  congratulate  himself  upon  his  little  venture, 
when  his  peace  of  mind  was  rudely  disturbed.  The 

[46] 


CONTRABAND    OF    WAR 

*A 

crew  were  down  below,  having  their  tea,  when  Billy, 
who  had  been  to  the  galley  for  hot  water,  came 
down,  white  and  scared. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said  nervously,  "  I  've  not  had 
anything  to  do  with  this  chap  being  aboard,  have  I  ?" 

"  What 's  the  matter  ?  "  inquired  Dan  quickly. 

"  It 's  all  found  out,"  said  Billy. 

"  What?  "  cried  the  crew  simultaneously. 

"  Leastways,  it  will  be,"  said  the  youth,  correcting 
himself.  "  You  'd  better  chuck  him  overboard  while 
you  've  got  time.  I  heard  the  cap'n  tell  the  mate  as 
he  was  coming  down  in  the  fo'c'sle  to-morrow  morn- 
ing to  look  round.  He  's  going  to  have  it  painted." 

"  This,"  said  Dan,  in  the  midst  of  a  painful  pause, 
"  this  is  what  comes  of  helping  a  fellow-creature. 
What's  to  be  done?" 

"  Tell  the  skipper  the  fo'c'sle  don't  want  paint- 
ing," suggested  Billy. 

The  agonised  old  seaman,  carefully  putting  down 
his  saucer  of  tea,  cuffed  his  head  spitefully. 

"  It 's  a  smooth  sea,"  said  he,  looking  at  the  per- 
turbed countenance  of  Private  Smith,  "  an'  there  Js 
a  lot  of  shipping  about.  If  I  was  a  deserter,  sooner 
than  be  caught,  I  would  slip  overboard  to-night  with 
a  lifebelt  and  take  my  chance." 

"  I  would  n't,"  said  Mr.  Smith,  with  much 
decision. 

"You  wouldn't?  Not  if  you  was  quite  near 
another  ship?"  cooed  Dan. 

"  Not  if  I  was  near  fifty  blooming  ships,  all  try- 
ing to  see  which  could  pick  me  up  first,"  replied  Mr. 
Smith,  with  some  heat. 

"  Then  we  shall  have  to  leave  you  to  your  fate," 

[471 


MANY    CARGOES 

said  Dan  solemnly.  "  If  a  man  's  unreasonable,  his 
best  friends  can  do  nothing  for  him." 

"  Chuck  all  his  clothes  overboard,  anyway,"  said 
Billy. 

"  That 's  a  good  idea  o'  the  boy's.  You  leave  his 
ears  alone,"  said  Joe,  stopping  the  ready  hand  of  the 
exasperated  Dan.  "  He  's  got  more  sense  than  any 
of  us.  Can  you  think  of  anything  else,  Billy  ?  What 
shall  we  do  then  ?  " 

The  eyes  of  all  were  turned  upon  their  youthful 
deliverer,  those  of  Mr.  Smith  being  painfully  promi- 
nent. It  was  a  proud  moment  for  Billy,  and  he  sat 
silent  for  some  time,  with  a  look  of  ineffable 
wisdom  and  thought  upon  his  face.  At  length  he 
spoke. 

"  Let  somebody  else  have  a  turn,"  he  said  gen- 
erously. 

The  voice  of  the  antimacassar  worker  broke  the 
silence. 

"  Paint  him  all  over  with  stripes  of  different-col- 
oured paint,  and  let  him  pretend  he 's  mad,  and 
did  n't  know  how  he  got  here,"  he  said,  with  an  un- 
controllable ring  of  pride  at  the  idea,  which  was  very 
coldly  received,  Private  Smith  being  noticeably  hard 
on  it. 

"  I  know,"  said  Billy  shrilly,  clapping  his  hands. 
"  I  've  got  it.  I  've  got  it.  After  he  's  chucked  his 
clothes  overboard  to-night,  let  him  go  overboard 
too,  with  a  line." 

"  And  tow  him  the  rest  o'  the  way,  and  chuck 
biscuits  to  him,  I  suppose,"  snarled  Dan. 

"  No,"  said  the  youthful  genius  scornfully ;  "  pre- 
tend he's  been  upset  from  a  boat,  and  has  been 

[48] 


swimming  about,  and  we  heard  him  cry  out  for  hdp 
and  rescued  him." 

"  It 's  about  the  best  way  out  of  it,"  said  Joe,  after 
some  deliberation ;  "  it 's  warm  weather,  and  you 
won't  take  no  harm,  mate.  Do  it  in  my  watch,  and 
I  '11  pull  you  out  directly." 

"  Would  n't  it  do  if  you  just  chucked  a  bucket  of 
water  over  me  and  said  you  'd  pulled  me  out,"  sug- 
gested the  victim.  "  The  other  thing  seems  a 
downright  lie." 

"  No,"  said  Billy  authoritatively,  "  you  've  got  to 
look  half-drowned,  and  swallow  a  lot  of  water,  and 
your  eyes  be  all  bloodshot." 

Everybody  being  eager  for  the  adventure,  except 
Private  Smith,  the  arrangements  were  at  once  con- 
cluded, and  the  approach  of  night  impatiently 
awaited.  It  was  just  before  midnight  when  Smith, 
who  had  forgotten  for  the  time  his  troubles  in  sleep, 
was  shaken  into  wakefulness. 

"  Cold  water,  sir  ?  "  said  Billy  gleefully. 

In  no  mood  for  frivolity,  Private  Smith  rose  and 
followed  the  youth  on  deck.  The  air  struck  him  as 
chill  as  he  stood  there ;  but,  for  all  that,  it  was  with 
a  sense  of  relief  that  he  saw  Her  Majesty's  uniform 
go  over  the  side  and  sink  into  the  dark  water. 

"  He  don't  look  much  with  his  padding  off,  does 
he?  "  said  Billy,  who  had  been  eyeing  him  critically. 

"  You  go  below,"  said  Dan  sharply. 

"  Garn,"  said  Billy  indignantly ;  "  I  want  to  see 
the  fun  as  well  as  you  do.  I  thought  of  it." 

"Fun?"  said  the  old  man  severely.  ''Fun? 
To  see  a  feller  creature  suffering,  and  perhaps 
drowned  " 

*  [49] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  don't  think  I  had  better  go,"  said  the  victim ; 
"  it  seems  rather  underhand." 

"Yes,  you  will,"  said  Joe.  "Wind  this  line 
round  an'  round  your  arm,  and  just  swim  about 
gently  till  I  pull  you  in." 

Sorely  against  his  inclination  Private  Smith  took 
hold  of  the  line,  and,  hanging  over  the  side  of  the 
schooner,  felt  the  temperature  with  his  foot,  and, 
slowly  and  tenderly,  with  many  little  gasps,  com- 
mitted his  body  to  the  deep.  Joe  paid  out  the  line 
and  waited,  letting  out  more  line,  when  the  man  in 
the  water,  who  was  getting  anxious,  started  to  come 
in  hand  over  hand. 

"  That  '11  do,"  said  Dan  at  length. 

"  I  think  it  will,"  said  Joe,  and,  putting  his  hand 
to  his  mouth,  gave  a  mighty  shout.  It  was  answered 
almost  directly  by  startled  roars  from  the  cabin,  and 
the  skipper  and  mate  came  rushing  hastily  upon 
deck,  to  see  the  crew,  in  their  sleeping  gear,  forming 
an  excited  group  round  Joe,  and  peering  eagerly 
over  the  side. 

"  What 's  the  matter?  "  demanded  the  skipper. 

"  Somebody  in  the  water,  sir,"  said  Joe,  relin- 
quishing the  wheel  to  one  of  the  other  seamen,  and 
hauling  in  the  line.  "  I  heard  a  cry  from  the  water 
and  threw  a  line,  and,  by  gum,  I  've  hooked  it!  " 

He  hauled  in,  lustily  aided  by  the  skipper,  until 
the  long  white  body  of  Private  Smith,  blanched  with 
the  cold,  came  bumping  against  the  schooner's  side. 

"  It's  a  mermaid,"  said  the  mate,  who  was  inclined 
to  be  superstitious,  as  he  peered  doubtfully  down  at 
it    "  Let  it  go,  Joe." 
v-"Haul  it  in,  boys,"  said  the  skipper  impatiently^ 

[50] 


CONTRABAND    OF    WAR 

4 

and  two  of  the  men  clambered  over  the  side  and, 
stooping  down,  raised  it  from  the  water. 

In  the  midst  of  a  puddle,  which  he  brought  with 
him,  Private  Smith  was  laid  on  the  deck,  and,  wav- 
ing his  arms  about,  fought  wildly  for  his  breath. 

"  Fetch  one  of  them  empties,"  said  the  skipper 
quickly,  as  he  pointed  to  some  barrels  ranged  along 
the  side. 

The  men  rolled  one  over,  and  then  aided  the 
skipper  in  placing  the  long  fair  form  of  their  visitor 
across  it,  and  to  trundle  it  lustily  up  and  down  the 
deck,  his  legs  forming  convenient  handles  for  the 
energetic  operators. 

"  He 's  coming  round,"  said  the  mate,  checking 
them ;  "  he  's  speaking.  How  do  you  feel,  my  poor 
fellow?" 

He  put  his  ear  down,  but  the  action  was  unnec- 
essary. Private  Smith  felt  bad,  and,  in  the  plainest 
English  he  could  think  of  at  the  moment,  said  so 
distinctly. 

"  He  's  swearing,"  said  the  mate.  "  He  ought  to 
be  ashamed  of  himself." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  skipper  austerely ;  "  and  him  so 
near  death  too.  How  did  you  get  in  the  water  ?  " 

"  Went  for  a swim,"  panted  Smith  surlily. 

"  Swim?  "  echoed  the  skipper.  "  Why,  we  're  ten 
miles  from  land !  " 

"  His  mind  's  wandering,  pore  feller,"  interrupted 
Joe  hurriedly.  "  What  boat  did  you  fall  out  of, 
matey?" 

"  A  row-boat,"  said  Smith,  trying  to  roll  out  of 
reach  of  the  skipper,  who  was  down  on  his  knees 
flaying  him  alive  with  a  roller-towel.  "  I  had  to 


MANY    CARGOES 

undress  in  the  water  to  keep  afloat.  I  've  lost  all  my 
clothes." 

"  Pore  feller,"  said  Dan. 

"  A  gold  watch  and  chain,  my  purse,  and  three  of 
the  nicest  fellers  that  ever  breathed,"  continued 
Smith,  who  was  now  entering  into  the  spirit  of  the 
thing. 

"  Poor  chaps,"  said  the  skipper  solemnly.  "  Any 
of  'em  leave  any  family?  " 

"  Four,"  said  Smith  sadly. 

"  Children?  "  queried  the  mate. 

"  Families,"  said  Smith. 

"  Look  here,"  said  the  mate,  but  the  watchful  Joe 
interrupted  him. 

"  His  mind  's  wandering,"  said  he  hastily.  "  He 
can't  count,  pore  chap.  We  'd  better  git  him  to 
bed." 

"  Ah,  do,"  said  the  skipper,  and,  assisted  by  his 
friends,  the  rescued  man  was  half  led,  half  carried 
below  and  put  between  the  blankets,  where  he  lay 
luxuriously  sipping  a  glass  of  brandy  and  water, 
sent  from  the  cabin. 

"  How  'd  I  do  it?  "  he  inquired,  with  a  satisfied 
air. 

"  There  was  no  need  to  tell  all  them  lies  about  it," 
said  Dan  sharply ;  "  instead  of  one  little  lie  you  told 
half-a-dozen.  I  don't  want  nothing  more  to  do  with 
you.  You  start  afresh  now,  like  a  new-born  babe." 

"  All  right,"  said  Smith  shortly ;  and,  being  very 
much  fatigued  with  his  exertions,  and  much  re- 
freshed by  the  brandy,  fell  into  a  deep  and  peaceful 
sleep. 

iThe  morning  was  well  advanced  when  he  awoke, 

[52] 


CONTRABAND    OF    WAR 

and  the  fo'c'sle  empty  except  for  the  faithful  Joe, 
who  was  standing  by  his  side,  with  a  heap  of  cloth- 
ing under  his  arm. 

"  Try  these  on,"  said  he,  as  Smith  stared  at  him 
half  awake;  "  they  '11  be  better  than  nothing,  at  any 
rate." 

The  soldier  leaped  from  his  bunk  and  gratefully 
proceeded  to  dress  himself,  Joe  eyeing  him  critically 
as  the  trousers  climbed  up  his  long  legs,  and  the 
sleeves  of  the  jacket  did  their  best  to  conceal  his 
elbows. 

"What  do  I  look  like?"  he  inquired  anxiously, 
as  he  finished. 

"  Six  foot  an'  a  half  o'  misery,"  piped  the  shrill 
voice  of  Billy  promptly,  as  he  thrust  his  head  in  at 
the  fo'c'sle.  "  You  can't  go  to  church  in  those 
clothes." 

"  Well,  they  '11  do  for  the  ship,  but  you  can't  go 
ashore  in  'em,"  said  Joe,  as  he  edged  towards  the 
ladder,  and  suddenly  sprang  up  a  step  or  two  to  let 
fly  at  the  boy.  "  The  old  man  wants  to  see  you ;  be 
careful  what  you  say  to  him." 

With  a  very  unsuccessful  attempt  to  appear  un- 
conscious of  the  figure  he  cut,  Smith  went  up  on  deck 
for  the  interview. 

"  We  can't  do  anything  until  we  get  to  London," 
said  the  skipper,  as  he  made  copious  notes  of  Smith's 
adventures.  "  As  soon  as  we  get  there,  I  '11  lend  you 
the  money  to  telegraph  to  your  friends  to  tell  'em 
you  're  safe  and  to  send  you  some  clothes,  and  of 
course  you  '11  have  free*  board  and  lodging  till  it 
comes,  and  I  '11  write  out  an  account  of  it  for  the 
newspapers." 

[53] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  You  're  very  good,"  said  Smith  blankly. 

"  And  I  don't  know  what  you  are,"  said  the 
skipper,  interrogatively ;  "  but  you  ought  to  go  in 
for  swimming  as  a  profession  —  six  hours'  swim- 
ming about  like  that  is  wonderful." 

"  You  don't  know  what  you  can  do  till  you  have 
to,"  said  Smith  modestly,  as  he  backed  slowly  away ; 
"  but  I  never  want  to  see  the  water  again  as  long  as 
I  live." 

The  two  remaining  days  of  their  passage  passed 
all  too  quickly  for  the  men,  who  were  casting  about 
for  some  way  out  of  the  difficulty  which  they  fore- 
saw would  arise  when  they  reached  London. 

"  If  you  'd  only  got  decent  clothes,"  said  Joe,  as 
they  passed  Gravesend,  "  you  could  go  off  and  send 
a  telegram,  and  not  come  back ;  but  you  could  n't 
go  five  yards  in  them  things  without  having  a  crowd 
after  you." 

"  I  shall  have  to  be  taken  I  s'pose/'  said  Smith 
moodily. 

"  An'  poor  old  Dan  '11  get  six  months  hard  for 
helping  you  off,"  said  Joe  sympathetically,  as  a 
bright  idea  occurred  to  him. 

"  Rubbish !  "  said  Dan  uneasily.  "  He  can  stick 
to  his  tale  of  being  upset ;  anyway,  the  skipper  saw 
him  pulled  out  of  the  water.  He  's  too  honest  a  chap 
to  get  an  old  man  into  trouble  for  trying  to  help  him." 

"  He  must  have  a  new  rig  out,  Dan,"  said  Joe 
softly.  "  You  an'  me  '11  go  an'  buy  'em.  I  '11  do  the 
choosing,  and  you  '11  do  the  paying.  Why,  it  '11  be 
a  reg'lar  treat  for  you  to  lay  out  a  little  money,  Dan. 
We  '11  have  quite  an  evening's  shopping,  everything 
of  the  best."  ^  ,  r 

.  I  54  ] 


CONTRABAND    OF    WAR 

The  infuriated  Dan  gasped  for  breath,  and  looked 
helplessly  at  the  grinning  crew. 

"I'll  see  him — overboard  first,"  he  said  furiously. 

"  Please  yourself,"  said  Joe  shortly.  "  If  he  's 
caught  you  '11  get  six  months.  As  it  is,  you  've  got 
a  ch?nce  of  doing  a  nice,  kind  little  Christian  act, 
becos,  o'  course,  that  twenty-five  bob  you  got  out  of 
him  won't  anything  like  pay  for  his  toggery." 

Almost  beside  himself  with  indignation,  the  old 
man  moved  off,  and  said  not  another  word  until  they 
were  made  fast  to  the  wharf  at  Limehouse.  He  did 
not  even  break  silence  when  Joe,  taking  him  affec- 
tionately by  the  arm,  led  him  aft  to  the  skipper. 

"  Me  an'  Dan,  sir,"  said  Joe  very  respectfully, 
"  would  like  to  go  ashore  for  a  little  shopping.  Dan 
has  very  kindly  offered  to  lend  that  pore  chap  the 
money  for  some  clothes,  and  he  wants  me  to  go  with 
him  to  help  carry  them." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  skipper,  with  a  benevolent 
smile  at  the  aged  philanthropist.  "  You  'd  better  go 
at  once,  afore  the  shops  shut." 

"  We  '11  run,  sir,"  said  Joe,  and  taking  Dan  by 
the  arm,  dragged  him  into  the  street  at  a  trot. 

Nearly  a  couple  of  hours  passed  before  they  re- 
turned, and  no  child  watched  with  greater  eagerness 
the  opening  of  a  birthday  present  than  Smith 
watched  the  undoing  of  the  numerous  parcels  with 
which  they  were  laden. 

"  He 's  a  reg'lar  fairy  godmother,  ain't  he?  "  said 
Joe,  as  Smith  joyously  dressed  himself  in  a  very 
presentable  tweed  suit,  serviceable  boots,  and  a 
bowler  hat.  "  We  had  a  dreadful  job  to  get  a  suit 
big  enough,  an'  the  only  one  we  could  get  was  rathec 

[55] 


MANY    CARGOES 

more  money  than  we  wanted  to  give,  was  n't  it, 
Dan?" 

The  fairy  godmother  strove  manfully  with  his 
feelings. 

"  You  '11  do  now,"  said  Joe.  "  I  ain't  got  much, 
but  what  I  have  you  're  welcome  to."  He  put  his 
hand  into  his  pocket  and  pulled  out  some  loose  coin. 
"  What  have  you  got,  mates  ?  " 

With  decent  good  will  the  other  men  turned  out 
their  pockets,  and,  adding  to  the  store,  heartily 
pressed  it  upon  the  reluctant  Smith,  who,  after  shak- 
ing hands  gratefully,  followed  Joe  on  deck. 

"  You  've  got  enough  to  pay  your  fare,"  said  the 
latter ;  "  an'  I  Ve  told  the  skipper  you  are  going 
ashore  to  send  off  telegrams.  If  you  send  the  money 
back  to  Dan,  I  '11  never  forgive  you." 

"I  won't,  then,"  said  Smith  firmly;  "but  I'll 
send  theirs  back  to  the  other  chaps.  Good-bye." 

Joe  shook  him  by  the  hand  again,  and  bade  him 
go  while  the  coast  was  clear,  advice  which  Smith 
hastened  to  follow,  though  he  turned  and  looked 
back  to  wave  his  hand  to  the  crew,  who  had  come  up 
on  deck  silently  to  see  him  off;  all  but  the  philan- 
thropist, who  was  down  below  with  a  stump  of  lead- 
pencil  and  a  piece  of  paper  doing  sums. 


[56] 


I 


A   BLACK   AFFAIR 

fic  "Y'  DID  N'T  want  to  brinS  Jt»"  said  Captain 
Gubson,  regarding  somewhat  unfavourably 
a  grey  parrot  whose  cage  was  hanging 
against  the  mainmast,  "  but  my  old  uncle  was  so  set 
on  it  I  had  to.  He  said  a  sea-voyage  would  set  its 
'elth  up." 

"  It  seems  to  be  all  right  at  present,"  said  the 
mate,  who  was  tenderly  sucking  his  forefinger; 
"  best  of  spirits,  I  should  say." 

"  It 's  playful,"  assented  the  skipper.  "  The  old 
man  thinks  a  rare  lot  of  it.  I  think  I  shall  have  a 
little  bit  in  that  quarter,  so  keep  your  eye  on  the 
beggar." 

"  Scratch  Poll ! "  said  the  parrot,  giving  its  bill 
a  preliminary  strop  on  its  perch.  "  Scratch  poor 
Polly!" 

It  bent  its  head  against  the  bars,  and  waited  pa- 
tiently to  play  off  what  it  had  always  regarded  as 
the  most  consummate  practical  joke  in  existence. 
The  first  doubt  it  had  ever  had  about  it  occurred 
when  the  mate  came  forward  and  obligingly 
scratched  it  with  the  stem  of  his  pipe.  It  was  a 
wholly  unforeseen  development,  and  the  parrot, 
ruffling  its  feathers,  edged  along  its  perch  and 
brooded  darkly  at  the  other  end  of  it. 

[57] 


MANY    CARGOES 

Opinion  before  the  mast  was  also  against  the  new 
arrival,  the  general  view  being  that  the  wild  jealousy 
which  raged  in  the  bosom  of  the  ship's  cat  would 
sooner  or  later  lead  to  mischief. 

"  Old  Satan  don't  like  it,"  said  the  cook,  shaking 
his  head.  "  The  blessed  bird  had  n't  been  aboard 
ten  minutes  before  Satan  was  prowling  around. 


"  /  never  see  a  cat  so  took  aback  " 

The  blooming  image  waited  till  he  was  about  a  foot 
off  the  cage,  and  then  he  did  the  perlite  and  asked 
him  whether  he  'd  like  a  glass  o'  beer.  /  never  see 
a  cat  so  took  aback  in  all  my  life.  Never." 

"  There  '11  be  trouble  between  'em,"  said  old  Sam, 
who  was  the  cat's  special  protector,  "  mark  my 
words." 

"  I  'd  put  my  money  on  the  parrot,"  said  one  of 
the  men  confidently.  '''  It's  'ad  a  crool  bit  out  of 

[58] 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

the  mate's  finger.  Where  'ud  the  cat  be  agin  thafl 
beak?  " 

"  Well,  you  'd  lose  your  money,"  said  Sam.  "  If 
you  want  to  do  the  cat  a  kindness,  every  time  yon 
see  him  near  that  cage  cuff  his  'ed." 

The  crew  being  much  attached  to  the  cat,  which 
had  been  presented  to  them  when  a  kitten  by  the 
mate's  wife,  acted  upon  the  advice  with  so  much  zest 
that  for  the  next  two  days  the  indignant  animal  was 
like  to  have  been  killed  with  kindness.  On  the  third 
day,  however,  the  parrot's  cage  being  on  the  cabin 
table,  the  cat  stole  furtively  down,  and,  at  the  press- 
ing request  of  the  occupant  itself,  scratched  its  head 
for  it. 

The  skipper  was  the  first  to  discover  the  mischief, 
and  he  came  on  deck  and  published  the  news  in  a 
voice  which  struck  a  chill  to  all  hearts. 

"Where's  that  black  devil  got  to?"  he  yelled. 

"Anything  wrong,  sir?"  asked  Sam  anxiously. 

"  Come  and  look  here,"  said  the  skipper.  He  led 
the  way  to  the  cabin,  where  the  mate  and  one  of  the 
crew  were  already  standing,  shaking  their  heads 
over  the  parrot. 

"What  do  you  make  of  that?"  demanded  the! 
skipper  fiercely. 

"  Too  much  dry  food,  sir,"  said  Sam,  after  due 
deliberation. 

"Too  much  what?"  bellowed  the  skipper. 

"  Too  much  dry  food,"  repeated  Sam  firmly.  "  A 
parrot  —  a  grey  parrot  —  wants  plenty  o'  sop.  If 
it  don't  get  it,  it  moults." 

"  It 's  had  too  much  cat"  said  the  skipper  fiercely, 
"  and  you  know  it,  and  overboard  it  goes." 

[59] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  don't  believe  it  was  the  cat,  sir,"  interposed 
the  other  man ;  "  it 's  too  soft-hearted  to  do  a  thing 
like  that" 

"  You  can  shut  your  jaw,"  said  the  skipper,  red- 
dening. "  Who  asked  you  to  come  down  here  at 
all?" 

"  Nobody  saw  the  cat  do  it,"  urged  the  mate. 

The  skipper  said  nothing,  but,  stooping  down, 
picked  up  a  tail  feather  from  the  floor,  and  laid  it  on 
the  table.  He  then  went  on  deck,  followed  by  the 
others,  and  began  calling,  in  seductive  tones,  for  the 
cat.  No  reply  forthcoming  from  the  sagacious  ani- 
mal, which  had  gone  into  hiding,  he  turned  to  Sam, 
and  bade  him  call  it. 

"  No,  sir,  I  won't  'ave  no  'and  in  it,"  said  the  old 
man.    "  Putting  aside  my  liking  for  the  animal,  /  'nt 
not  going  to  'ave  anything  to  do  with  the  killing  of 
a  black  cat." 
,     "  Rubbish !  "  said  the  skipper. 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  said  Sam,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders, "  you  know  best,  o'  course.  You  're  eddicated 
and  I  'm  not,  an'  p'raps  you  can  afford  to  make  a 
laugh  o'  such  things.  I  knew  one  man  who  killed 
a  black  cat  an'  he  went  mad.  There  's  something 
very  pecooliar  about  that  cat  o'  ours." 

"  It  knows  more  than  we  do,"  said  one  of  the 
crew,  shaking  his  head.  "  That  time  you  —  I  mean 
we  —  ran  the  smack  down,  that  cat  was  expecting 
of  it  'ours  before.  It  was  like  a  wild  thing." 

"  Look  at  the  weather  we  've  'ad  —  look  at  the 
trips  we  've  made  since  he  's  been  aboard,"  said  the 
old  man,  "  Tell  me  it 's  chance  if  you  like^  but  I 
know  better." 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

The  skipper  hesitated.  He  was  a  superstitious 
man  even  for  a  sailor,  and  his  weakness  was  so  well 
known  that  he  had  become  a  sympathetic  receptacle 
for  every  ghost  story  which,  by  reason  of  its  crude- 
ness  or  lack  of  corroboration,  had  been  rejected  by 
other  experts.  He  was  a  perfect  reference  library 
for  omens,  and  his  interpretations  of  dreams  had 
gained  for  him  a  widespread  reputation. 

"  That 's  all  nonsense,"  he  said,  pausing  uneasily; 
"  still,  I  only  want  to  be  just.  There  's  nothing  vin- 
dictive about  me,  and  I  '11  have  no  hand  in  it  myself. 
Joe,  just  tie  a  lump  of  coal  to  that  cat  and  heave  it 
overboard." 

"  Not  me,"  said  the  cook,  following  Sam's  lead, 
and  working  up  a  shudder.  "  Not  for  fifty  pun  in 
gold.  I  don't  want  to  be  haunted." 

"  The  parrot 's  a  little  better  now,  sir,"  said  one  of 
the  men,  taking  advantage  of  his  hesitation,  "  he  's 
opened  one  eye." 

"  Well,  I  only  want  to  be  just,"  repeated  the 
skipper.  "  I  won't  do  anything  in  a  hurry,  but, 
mark  my  words,  if  the  parrot  dies  that  cat  goes 
overboard."  j 

Contrary  to  expectations,  the  bird  was  still  alive 
when  London  was  reached,  though  the  cook,  who 
from  his  connection  with  the  cabin  had  suddenly 
reached  a  position  of  unusual  importance,  reported 
great  loss  of  strength  and  irritability  of  temper.  It 
was  still  alive,  but  failing  fast  on  the  day  they  were 
to  put  to  sea  again ;  and  the  fo'c'sle,  in  preparation 
for  the  worst,  stowed  their  pet  away  in  the  paint- 
locker,  and  discussed  the  situation. 
fc  Their  council  was  interrupted  by  the  mysterious 
[61] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"behaviour  of  the  cook,  who,  having  gone  out  to  lay 
in  a  stock  of  bread,  suddenly  broke  in  upon  them 
more  in  the  manner  of  a  member  of  a  secret  society 
than  a  humble  but  useful  unit  of  a  ship's  company. 

"  Where  's  the  cap'n  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  hoarse  whis- 
per, as  he  took  a  seat  on  the  locker  with  the  sack  of 
bread  between  his  knees. 

"  In  the  cabin,"  said  Sam,  regarding  his  antics 
with  some  disfavour.  "What's  wrong,  cookie?" 

"  What  d'  yer  think  I  've  got  in  here?  "  asked  the 
cook,  patting  the  bag. 

The  obvious  reply  to  this  question  was,  of  course, 
bread;  but  as  it  was  known  that  the  cook  had  de- 
parted specially  to  buy  some,  and  that  he  could 
hardly  ask  a  question  involving  such  a  simple  an- 
swer, nobody  gave  it. 

"  It  come  to  me  all  of  a  sudden,"  said  the  cook,  in 
a  thrilling  whisper.  "  I  'd  just  bought  the  bread  and 
left  the  shop,  when  I  see  a  big  black  cat,  the  very 
image  of  ours,  sitting  on  a  doorstep.  I  just  stooped 
down  to  stroke  its  'ed,  when  it  come  to  me." 

"  They  will  sometimes,"  said  one  of  the  seamen. 

"  I  don't  mean  that,"  said  the  cook,  with  the  con- 
tempt of  genius.  "  I  mean  the  idea  did.  Ses  I  to 
myself,  '  You  might  be  old  Satan's  brother  by  the 
look  of  you ;  an'  if  the  cap'n  wants  to  kill  a  cat,  let 
it  be  you,'  I  ses.  And  with  that,  before  it  could  say 
Jack  Robinson,  I  picked  it  up  by  the  scruff  o'  the 
neck  and  shoved  it  in  the  bag." 

"  What,  all  in  along  of  our  bread  ?  "  said  the  pre- 
vious interrupter,  in  a  pained  voice. 

"  Some  of  yer  are  'ard  ter  please,"  said  the  cook, 
'deeply  offended.  , 

162] 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

.  f 

"  Don't  mind  him,  cook,"  said  the  admiring  Sam,' 
"  You  're  a  masterpiece,  that 's  what  you  are." 

"  Of  course,  if  any  of  you  've  got  a  better  plan  " 
said  the  cook  generously. 

"  Don't  talk  rubbish,  cook,"  said  Sam ;  "  fetch  the 
two  cats  out  and  put  'em  together." 

"  Don't  mix  'em,"  said  the  cook  warningly ;  "  for 
you  '11  never  know  which  is  which  agin  if  you  do." 

He  cautiously  opened  the  top  of  the  sack  and  pro- 
duced his  captive,  and  Satan,  having  been  relieved 
from  his  prison,  the  two  animals  were  carefully 
compared. 

"  They  're  as  like  as  two  lumps  o'  coal,"  said  Sam 
slowly.  "  Lord,  what  a  joke  on  the  old  man.  I 
must  tell  the  mate  o'  this ;  he  '11  enjoy  it." 

"  It  '11  be  all  right  if  the  parrot  don't  die,"  said 
the  dainty  pessimist,  still  harping  on  his  pet  theme. 
"  All  that  bread  spoilt,  and  two  cats  aboard." 

"  Don't  mind  what  he  ses,"  said  Sam ;  "  you  're 
a  brick,  that 's  what  you  are.  I  '11  just  make  a  few 
holes  in  the  lid  o'  the  boy's  chest,  and  pop  old  Satan 
in.  You  don't  mind,  do  you,  Billy?" 

"Of  course  he  don't,"  said  the  other  men  in- 
dignantly. 

Matters  being  thus  agreeably  arranged,  Sam  got 
a  gimlet,  and  prepared  the  chest  for  the  reception  of 
its  tenant,  who,  convinced  that  he  was  being  put  out 
of  the  way  to  make  room  for  a  rival,  made  a  frantic 
fight  for  freedom. 

"  Now  get  something  'eavy  and  put  on  the  top  of 
it,"  said  Sam,  having  convinced  himself  that  the  lock 
was  broken ;  "  and,  Billy,  put  the  noo  cat  in  the 
paint-locker  till  we  start ;  it 's  home-sick." 

[63] 


^'MANY    CARGOES 

'  The  foy  obeyed,  and  the  understudy  was  kept  in 
durance  vile  until  they  were  off  Limehouse,  when  he 
came  on  deck  and  nearly  ended  his  career  there  and 
then  by  attempting  to  jump  over  the  bulwark  into 
the  next  garden.  For  some  time  he  paced  the  deck 
in  a  perturbed  fashion,  and  then,  leaping  on  the 
stern,  mewed  plaintively  as  his  native  city  receded 
farther  and  farther  from  his  view. 
|  "What's  the  matter  with  old  Satan?"  said  the 
mate,  who  had  been  let  into  the  secret.  "  He  seems 
to  have  something  on  his  mind." 
f  "  He'll  have  something  round  his  neck  presently," 
said  the  skipper  grimly. 

The  prophecy  was  fulfilled  some  three  hours  later, 
when  he  came  up  on  deck  ruefully  regarding  the 
remains  of  a  bird  whose  vocabulary  had  once  been 
the  pride  of  its  native  town.  He  threw  it  overboard 
•without  a  word,  and  then,  seizing  the  innocent  cat, 
who  had  followed  him  under  the  impression  that  it 
was  about  to  lunch,  produced  half  a  brick  attached 
to  a  string,  and  tied  it  round  his  neck.  The  crew, 
who  were  enjoying  the  joke  immensely,  raised  a 
howl  of  protest. 

"  The  Skylark  '11  never  have  another  like  it,  sir," 
said  Sam  solemnly.  "  That  cat  was  the  luck  of  the 
ship." 

"  I  don't  want  any  of  your  old  woman's  yarns," 
said  the  skipper  brutally.  "  If  you  want  the  cat,  go 
and  fetch  it." 

He  stepped  aft  as  he  spoke,  and  sent  the  gentle 
stranger  hurtling  through  the  air.  There  was  a 
"  plomp  "  as  it  reached  the  water,  a  bubble  or  two 
came  to  the  surface,  and  all  was  over. 

[64] 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

"  That 's  the  last  o'  that,"  he  said,  turning  away. 

The  old  man  shook  his  head.  "  You  can't  kill  a 
black  cat  for  nothing,"  said  he,  "  mark  my  words!  " 

The  skipper,  who  was  in  a  temper  at  the  time, 
thought  little  of  them,  but  they  recurred  to  him 
vividly  the  next  day.  The  wind  had  freshened 
during  the  night,  and  rain  was  falling  heavily.  On 


"  That 's  the  last  o'  that ' 


deck  the  crew  stood 
about  in  oilskins,  while 
below,  the  boy,  in  his 
new  capacity  of  gaoler, 
was  ministering  to  the  wants  of 
an  ungrateful  prisoner,  when 
the  cook,  happening  to  glance 
that  way,  was  horrified  to  see 
the  animal  emerge  from  the 
fo'c'sle.  It  eluded  easily  the 
frantic  clutch  of  the  boy  as  he  sprang  up  the  ladder 
after  it,  and  walked  leisurely  along  the  deck  in  the 
direction  of  the  cabin.  Just  as  the  crew  had  given 
it  up  for  lost  it  encountered  Sam,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment, despite  its  cries,  was  caught  up  and  huddled 
away  beneath  his  stiff  clammy  oilskins.  At  the 
noise  the  skipper,  who  was  talking  to  the  mate, 

c  [65] 


MANY    CARGOES 

turned  as  though  he  had  been  shot,  and  gazed  wildly 
round  him. 

"  Dick,"  said  he,  "  can  you  hear  a  cat?  " 

"  Cat!  "  said  the  mate,  in  accents  of  great  aston- 
ishment. 

"  I  thought  I  heard  it,"  said  the  puzzled  skipper. 

"  Fancy,  sir,"  said  Dick  firmly,  as  a  mewing, 
appalling  in  its  wrath,  came  from  beneath  Sam's 
coat. 

"Did  you  hear  it,  Sam?"  called  the  skipper,  as 
the  old  man  was  moving  off. 

"Hear  what,  sir?"  inquired  Sam  respectfully, 
without  turning  round. 

"  Nothing,"  said  the  skipper,  collecting  himself. 
"  Nothing.  All  right." 

The  old  man,  hardly  able  to  believe  in  his  good 
fortune,  made  his  way  forward,  and,  seizing  a 
favourable  opportunity,  handed  his  ungrateful  bur- 
den back  to  the  boy. 

"  Fancy  you  heard  a  cat  just  now  ?  "  inquired  the 
mate  casually. 

"  Well,  between  you  an'  me,  Dick,"  said  the 
skipper,  in  a  mysterious  voice,  "  I  did,  and  it  was  n't 
fancy  neither.  I  heard  that  cat  as  plain  as  if  it  was 
alive." 

"  Well,  I  've  heard  of  such  things,"  said  the  other, 
"  but  I  don't  believe  'em.  What  a  lark  if  the  old 
cat  comes  back  climbing  up  over  the  side  out  of  the 
sea  to-night,  with  the  brick  hanging  round  its  neck." 

The  skipper  stared  at  him  for  some  time  without 
speaking.  '*'  If  that 's  your  idea  of  a  lark,"  he  said 
at  length,  in  a  voice  which  betrayed  traces  of  some 
emotion,  "  it  ain't  mine." 

[66] 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

< 

"  Well,  if  you  hear  it  again,"  said  the  mate  cor- 
'dially,  "  you  might  let  me  know.  I  'm  rather  in- 
terested in  such  things." 

The  skipper,  hearing  no  more  of  it  that  day,  tried 
hard  to  persuade  himself  that  he  was  the  victim  of 
imagination,  but,  in  spite  of  this,  he  was  pleased  at 
night,  as  he  stood  at  the  wheel,  to  reflect  on  the  sense 
of  companionship  afforded  by  the  look-out  in  the 
bows.  On  his  part  the  look-out  was  quite  charmed 
with  the  unwonted  affability  of  the  skipper,  as  he 
yelled  out  to  him  two  or  three  times  on  matters  only 
faintly  connected  with  the  progress  of  the  schooner. 

The  night,  which  had  been  dirty,  cleared  some- 
what, and  the  bright  crescent  of  the  moon  appeared 
above  a  heavy  bank  of  clouds,  as  the  cat,  which 
had  by  dint  of  using  its  back  as  a  lever  at  length 
got  free  from  that  cursed  chest,  licked  its  shapely 
limbs,  and  came  up  on  deck.  After  its  stifling 
prison,  the  air  was  simply  delicious. 

"Bob!"  yelled  the  skipper  suddenly. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir ! "  said  the  look-out,  in  a  startled 
voice. 

"Did  you  mew?"  inquired  the  skipper. 

"  Did  I  wot,  sir  ?  "  cried  the  astonished  Bob. 

"  Mew,"  said  the  skipper  sharply,  "like  a  cat?" 

"  No,  sir,"  said  the  offended  seaman.  "  What  'ud 
I  want  to  do  that  for  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  want  to  for,"  said  the 
skipper,  looking  round  him  uneasily.  "  There 's 
some  more  rain  coming,  Bob." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Bob. 

"  Lot  o'  rain  we  've  had  this  summer,"  said  the 
skipper,  in  a  meditative  bawl. 

[67] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Bob.  "  Sailing-ship  on  tKe 
port  bow,  sir." 

The  conversation  dropped,  the  skipper,  anxious 
to  divert  his  thoughts,  watching  the  dark  mass  of 
sail  as  it  came  plunging  out  of  the  darkness  into 
the  moonlight  until  it  was  abreast  of  his  own  craft. 
His  eyes  followed  it  as  it  passed  his  quarter,  so 
that  he  saw  not  the  stealthy  approach  of  the  cat 
which  came  from  behind  the  companion,  and  sat 
down  close  by  him.  For  over  thirty  hours  the 
animal  had  been  subjected  to  the  grossest  indig- 
nities at  the  hands  of  every  man  on  board  the  ship 
except  one.  That  one  was  the  skipper,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  but  that  its  subsequent  behaviour  was  a 
direct  recognition  of  that  fact.  It  rose  to  its  feet, 
and  crossing  over  to  the  unconscious  skipper,  rubbed 
its  head  affectionately  and  vigorously  against  his 
leg. 

From  simple  causes  great  events  do  spring.  The 
skipper  sprang  four  yards,  and  let  off  a  screech 
which  was  the  subject  of  much  comment  on  the 
barque  which  had  just  passed.  When  Bob,  who 
came  shuffling  up  at  the  double,  reached  him  he 
was  leaning  against  the  side,  incapable  of  speech, 
and  shaking  all  over. 

"Anything  wrong,  sir?"  inquired  the  seaman 
anxiously,  as  he  ran  to  the  wheel. 

The  skipper  pulled  himself  together  a  bit,  and 
got  closer  to  his  companion. 

"  Believe  me  or  not,  Bob,"  he  said  at  length,  in 
trembling  accents,  "  just  as  you  please,  but  the  ghost 

of  that  cat,  I  mean  the  ghost  of  that  poor 

affectionate  animal  which  I  drowned,  and  which  I 

[68] 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

wish  I  had  n't,  came  and  rubbed  itself  up  against 
my  leg." 

"  Which  leg?  "  inquired  Bob,  who  was  ever  care- 
ful about  details. 

"What  the  blazes  does  it  matter  which  leg?" 
demanded  the  skipper,  whose  nerves  were  in  a  ter- 
rible state.  "  Ah,  look  —  look  there !  " 

The  seaman  followed  his  outstretched  finger, 
and  his  heart  failed  him  as  he  saw  the  cat,  with 
its  back  arched,  gingerly  picking  its  way  along 
the  side  of  the  vessel. 

"  I  can't  see  nothing,"  he  said  doggedly. 

"  I  don't  suppose  you  can,  Bob,"  said  the  skipper 
in  a  melancholy  voice,  as  the  cat  vanished  in  the 
bows ;  "  it 's  evidently  only  meant  for  me  to  see. 
What  it  means  I  don't  know.  I  'm  going  down  to 
turn  in.  I  ain't  fit  for  duty.  You  don't  mind 
being  left  alone  till  the  mate  comes  up,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  ain't  afraid,"  said  Bob. 

His  superior  officer  disappeared  below,  and,  shak- 
ing the  sleepy  mate,  who  protested  strongly  against 
the  proceedings,  narrated  in  trembling  tones  his 
horrible  experiences. 

"  If  I  were  you  " said  the  mate. 

"Yes?"  said  the  skipper,  waiting  a  bit.  Then 
he  shook  him  again,  roughly. 

"  What  were  you  going  to  say?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Say  ?  "  said  the  mate,  rubbing  his  eyes.  "  Noth- 
ing." 

"  About  the  cat  ?  "  suggested  the  skipper. 

"  Cat  ?  "  said  the  mate,  nestling  lovingly  down  in 
the  blankets  again.  "  Wha'  ca'  —  goo'  ni'  " 

Then  the  skipper  drew  the  blankets  from  the 

[69] 


MANY    CARGOES 

mate's  sleepy  clutches,  and,  rolling  him  backwards 
and  forwards  in  the  bunk,  patiently  explained  to  him 
that  he  was  very  unwell,  that  he  was  going  to  have 
a  drop  of  whiskey  neat,  and  turn  in,  and  that  he, 
the  mate,  was  to  take  the  watch.  From  this  mo- 
ment the  joke  lost  much  of  its  savour  for  the  mate. 

"  You  can  have  a  nip  too,  Dick,"  said  the  skipper, 
proffering  him  the  whiskey,  as  the  other  sullenly 
dressed  himself. 

"  It 's  all  rot,"  said  the  mate,  tossing  the  spirits 
down  his  throat,  "  and  it 's  no  use  either;  you  can't 
run  away  from  a  ghost;  it's  just  as  likely  to  be 
in  your  bed  as  anywhere  else.  Good-night." 

He  left  the  skipper  pondering  over  his  last  words, 
and  dubiously  eyeing  the  piece  of  furniture  in  ques- 
tion. Nor  did  he  retire  until  he  had  subjected  it 
to  an  analysis  of  the  most  searching  description, 
and  then,  leaving  the  lamp  burning,  he  sprang 
hastily  in,  and  forgot  his  troubles  in  sleep. 

It  was  day  when  he  awoke,  and  went  on  deck  to 
find  a  heavy  sea  running,  and  just  sufficient  sail  set 
to  keep  the  schooner's  head  before  the  wind  as  she 
bobbed  about  on  the  waters.  An  exclamation  from 
the  skipper,  as  a  wave  broke  against  the  side  and 
flung  a  cloud  of  spray  over  him,  brought  the  mate's 
head  round. 

"  Why,  you  ain't  going  to  get  up?  "  he  said,  in 
tones  of  insincere  surprise. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  inquired  the  other  gruffly. 

"  You  go  and  lay  down  agin,"  said  the  mate, 
"  and  have  a  cup  o'  nice  hot  tea  an'  some  toast." 

"  Clear  out,"  said  the  aKipper,  making  a  dash  for 
the  wheel,  and  reaching  it  as  the  wet  deck  suddenly; 

[70] 


ALFRlu  SAftii 

A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

changed  its  angle.  "  I  know  you  did  n't  like  being 
woke  up,  Dick;  but  I  got  the  horrors  last  night. 
Go  below  and  turn  in." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  mollified  mate. 

"You  didn't  see  anything?"  inquired  the  skip- 
per, as  he  took  the  wheel  from  him. 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  said  the  other. 

The  skipper  shook  his  head  thoughtfully,  then 
shook  it  again  vigorously,  as  another  shower-bath 
put  its  head  over  the  side  and  saluted  him. 

"  I  wish  I  had  n't  drowned  that  cat,  Dick,"  he 
said. 

"  You  won't  see  it  again,"  said  Dick,  with  the 
confidence  of  a  man  who  had  taken  every  possible 
precaution  to  render  the  prophecy  a  safe  one. 

He  went  below,  leaving  the  skipper  at  the  wheel 
idly  watching  the  cook  as  he  performed  marvellous 
feats  of  jugglery,  between  the  galley  and  the  fo'c'sle, 
with  the  men's  breakfast. 

A  little  while  later,  leaving  the  wheel  to  Sam,  he 
went  below  himself  and  had  his  own,  talking  freely, 
to  the  discomfort  of  the  conscience-stricken  cook, 
about  his  weird  experiences  of  the  night  before. 

"  You  won't  see  it  no  more,  sir,  I  don't  expect," 
he  said  faintly ;  "  I  b'leeve  it  come  and  rubbed  itself 
up  agin  your  leg  to  show  it  forgave  you." 

"  Well,  I  hope  it  knows  it 's  understood,"  said 
the  other.  "  I  don't  want  it  to  take  any  more 
trouble." 

He  finished  the  breakfast  in  silence,  and  then 
went  on  deck  again.  It  was  still  blowing  hard,  and 
he  went  over  to  superintend  the  men  who  were 
attempting  to  lash  together  some  empties  which 


were  rolling  about  in  all  directions  amidships.  A 
violent  roll  set  them  free  again,  and  at  the  same 
time  separated  two  chests  in  the  fo'c'sle,  which 
were  standing  one  on  top  of  the  other.  This  en- 
abled Satan,  who  was  crouching  in  the  lower  one, 
half  crazed  with  terror,  to  come  flying  madly  up 
on  deck  and  give  his  feelings  full  vent.  Three 
times  in  full  view  of  the  horrified  skipper  he  circled 
the  deck  at  racing  speed,  and  had  just  started  on  the 
fourth  when  a  heavy  packing-case,  which  had  been 
temporarily  set  on  end  and  abandoned  by  the  men 
at  his  sudden  appearance,  fell  over  and  caught  him 
by  the  tail.  Sam  rushed  to  the  rescue. 

"  Stop !  "  yelled  the  skipper. 

"  Won't  I  put  it  up,  sir  ?  "  inquired  Sam. 

"  Do  you  see  what 's  beneath  it  ?  "  said  the  skip- 
per, in  a  husky  voice. 

"  Beneath  it,  sir  ?  "  said  Sam,  whose  ideas  were 
in  a  whirl. 

"  The  cat,  can't  you  see  the  cat  ?  "  said  the  skip- 
per, whose  eyes  had  been  riveted  on  the  animal 
since  its  first  appearance  on  deck. 

Sam  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  shook  his 
head. 

"  The  case  has  fallen  on  the  cat,"  said  the  skipper. 
"  I  can  see  it  distinctly." 

He  might  have  said  heard  it,  too,  for  Satan  was 
making  frenzied  appeals  to  his  sympathetic  friends 
for  assistance. 

"  Let  me  put  the  case  back,  sir,"  said  one  of  the 
men,  "  then  p'raps  the  wision  '11  disappear." 

"  No,  stop  where  you  are,"  said  the  skipper.  "  I 
pan  stand  it  better  by  daylight.  It 's  the  most  won- 

[72] 


A    BLACK    AFFAIR 

derful  and  extraordinary  thing  I  've  ever  seen.  Do 
you  mean  to  say  you  can't  see  anything,  Sam  ?  " 

"  I  can  see  a  case,  sir,"  said  Sam,  speaking  slowly 
and  carefully,  "  with  a  bit  of  rusty  iron  band  stick- 
ing out  from  it.  That 's  what  you  're  mistaking  for 
the  cat,  p'raps,  sir." 

"Can't  you  see  anything,  cook?"  demanded  the 
skipper. 

"  It  may  be  fancy,  sir,"  faltered  the  cook,  lower- 
ing his  eyes,  "  but  it  does  seem  to  me  as  though  I 
can  see  a  little  misty  sort  o'  thing  there.  Ah,  now 
it 's  gone." 

"  No,  it  ain't,"  said  the  skipper.  "  The  ghost  of 
Satan  's  sitting  there.  The  case  seems  to  have  fallen 
on  its  tail.  It  appears  to  be  howling  something 
dreadful." 

The  men  made  a  desperate  effort  to  display  the 
astonishment  suitable  to  such  a  marvel,  whilst  Satan, 
who  was  trying  all  he  knew  to  get  his  tail  out,  cursed 
freely.  How  long  the  superstitious  captain  of  the 
Skylark  would  have  let  him  remain  there  will  never 
be  known,  for  just  then  the  mate  came  on  deck  and 
caught  sight  of  it  before  he  was  quite  aware  of  the 
part  he  was  expected  to  play. 

"  Why  the  devil  don't  you  lift  the  thing  off  the 
poor  brute  ?  "  he  yelled,  hurrying  up  towards  the 
case. 

"  What,  can  you  see  it,  Dick  ?  "  said  the  skipper 
impressively,  laying  his  hand  on  his  arm. 

"  See  it?  "  retorted  the  mate.  "  D'  ye  think  I  'm 
blind  ?  Listen  to  the  poor  brute.  I  should  —  Oh !  " 

He  became  conscious  of  the  concentrated  signifi- 
cant gaze  of  the  crew.  Five  pairs  of  eyes  speaking 

[73] 


MANY    CARGOES 

as  one,  all  saying  "  idiot "  plainly,  the  boy's  eyes 
conveying  an  expression  too  great  to  be  translated. 

Turning,  the  skipper  saw  the  bye-play,  and  a  light 
slowly  dawned  upon  him.  But  he  wanted  more, 
and  he  wheeled  suddenly  to  the  cook  for  the  required 
illumination. 

The  cook  said  it  was  a  lark.  Then  he  corrected 
himself  and  said  it  was  n't  a  lark,  then  he  corrected 
himself  again  and  became  incoherent.  Meantime 
the  skipper  eyed  him  stonily,  while  the  mate  released 
the  cat  and  good-naturedly  helped  to  straighten  its 
tail. 

It  took  fully  five  minutes  of  unwilling  explana- 
tion before  the  skipper  could  grasp  the  situation. 
He  did  not  appear  to  fairly  understand  it  until  he 
was  shown  the  chest  with  the  ventilated  lid;  then 
his  countenance  cleared,  and,  taking  the  unhappy 
Billy  by  the  collar,  he  called  sternly  for  a  piece  of 
rope. 

By  this  statesmanlike  handling  of  the  subject  a 
question  of  much  delicacy  and  difficulty  was  solved, 
discipline  was  preserved,  and  a  practical  illustration 
of  the  perils  of  deceit  afforded  to  a  youngster  who 
was  at  an  age  best  suited  to  receive  such  impres- 
sions. That  he  should  exhaust  the  resources  of  a 
youthful  but  powerful  vocabulary  upon  the  crew 
in  general,  and  Sam  in  particular,  was  only  to  be 
expected.  They  bore  him  no  malice  for  it,  but, 
when  he  showed  signs  of  going  beyond  his  years, 
held  a  hasty  consultation,  and  then  stopped  his 
mouth  with  sixpence-halfpenny  and  a  broken  jack- 
knife. 

[74] 


THE  SKIPPER  OF  THE  "OSPREY' 

IT  was  a  quarter  to  six  in  the  morning  as  the 
mate  of  the  sailing-barge  Osprey  came  on  deck 
and  looked  round  for  the  master,  who  had 
been  sleeping  ashore  and  was  somewhat  overdue. 
Ten  minutes  passed  before  he  appeared  on  the  wharf, 
and  the  mate  saw  with  surprise  that  he  was  leaning 
on  the  arm  of  a  pretty  girl  of  twenty,  as  he  hobbled 
painfully  down  to  the  barge. 

"  Here  you  are  then,"  said  the  mate,  his  face 
clearing.  "  I  began  to  think  you  were  n't  coming." 

"  I  'm  not,"  said  the  skipper ;  "  I  've  got  the  gout 
crool  bad.  My  darter  here  's  going  to  take  my  place, 
an'  I  'm  going  to  take  it  easy  in  bed  for  a  bit." 

"  I  '11  go  an'  make  it  for  you,"  said  the  mate. 

"  I  mean  my  bed  at  home,"  said  the  skipper 
sharply.  "  I  want  good  nursing  an'  attention." 

The  mate  looked  puzzled. 

"  But  you  don't  really  mean  to  say  this  young 
lady  is  coming  aboard  instead  of  you?  "  he  said. 

"  That 's  just  what  I  do  mean,"  said  the  skipper. 
"  She  knows  as  much  about  it  as  I  do.  She  lived 
aboard  with  me  until  she  was  quite  a  big  girl.  You'll 
take  your  orders  from  her.  What  are  you  whistling 
about?  Can't  I  do  as  I  like  about  my  own  ship?" 

[75] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  O'  course  you  can,"  said  the  mate  drily ;  "  an* 
I  s'pose  I  can  whistle  if  I  like  —  I  never  heard  no 
orders  against  it." 

"  Gimme  a  kiss,  Meg,  an'  git  aboard,"  said  the 
skipper,  leaning  on  his  stick  and  turning  his  cheek 
to  his  daughter,  who  obediently  gave  him  a  per- 
functory kiss  on  the  left  eyebrow,  and  sprang  lightly 
aboard  the  barge. 

"  Cast  off,"  said  she,  in  a  business-like  manner, 
as  she  seized  a  boat-hook  and  pushed  off  from  the 
jetty.  "  Ta  ta,  Dad,  and  go  straight  home,  mind ; 
the  cab  's  waiting." 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  dear,"  said  the  proud  father,  his 
eye  moistening  with  paternal  pride  as  his  daughter, 
throwing  off  her  jacket,  ran  and  assisted  the  mate 
with  the  sail.  "  Lord,  what  a  fine  boy  she  would 
have  made !  " 

He  watched  the  barge  until  she  was  well  under 
way,  and  then,  waving  his  hand  to  his  daughter, 
crawled  slowly  back  to  the  cab;  and,  being  to  a 
certain  extent  a  believer  in  homoeopathy,  treated 
his  complaint  with  a  glass  of  rum. 

"  I  'm  sorry  your  father  's  so  bad,  miss,"  said  the 
mate,  who  was  still  somewhat  dazed  by  the  recent 
proceedings,  as  the  girl  came  up  and  took  the  wheel 
from  him.  "  He  was  complaining  a  goodish  bit  all 
the  way  up." 

"  A  wilful  man  must  have  his  way,"  said  Miss 
Cringle,  with  a  shake  of  her  head.  "  It 's  no  good 
me  saying  anything,  because  directly  my  back 's 
turned  he  has  his  own  way  again." 

The  mate  shook  his  head  despondently. 

"  ,You  'd  better  get  your  bedding  up  and  make 
[76] 


THE    SKIPPER    OF    THE    "OSPREY" 

your  arrangements  forward,"  said  the  new  skipper 
presently.  There  was  a  look  of  indulgent  admira- 
tion in  the  mate's  eye,  and  she  thought  it  necessary 
to  check  it. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  other,  "  plenty  of  time  for 
that ;  the  river  's  a  little  bit  thick  just  now." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  inquired  the  girl  hastily. 

"  Some  o'  these  things  are  not  so  careful  as  they 
might  be,"  said  the  mate,  noting  the  ominous  sparkle 
of  her  eye,  "  an'  they  might  scrape  the  paint  off." 

"  Look  here,  my  lad,"  said  the  new  skipper  grimly, 
"  if  you  think  you  can  steer  better  than  me,  you  'd 
better  keep  it  to  yourself,  that 's  all.  Now  suppose 
you  see  about  your  bedding,  as  I  said." 

The  mate  went,  albeit  he  was  rather  surprised  at 
himself  for  doing  so,  and  hid  his  annoyance  and  con- 
fusion beneath  the  mattress  which  he  brought  up  on 
his  head.  His  job  completed,  he  came  aft  again, 
and,  sitting  on  the  hatches,  lit  his  pipe. 

"  This  is  just  the  weather  for  a  pleasant  cruise," 
he  said  amiably,  after  a  few  whiffs.  "  You  've 
chose  a  nice  time  for  it." 

"  I  don't  mind  the  weather,"  said  the  girl,  who 
fancied  that  there  was  a  little  latent  sarcasm  some- 
where. "  I  think  you  'd  better  wash  the  decks  now." 

"  Washed  'em  last  night,"  said  the  mate,  without 
moving. 

"  Ah,  after  dark,  perhaps,"  said  the  girl.  "  Well, 
I  think  I  '11  have  them  done  again." 

The  mate  sat  pondering  rebelliously  for  a  few 
minutes,  then  he  removed  his  jacket,  put  on  in 
honour  of  the  new  skipper,  and,  fetching  the  bucket 
and  mop,  silently  obeyed  orders. 

[77] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  You  seem  to  be  very  fond  of  sitting  down,"  re- 
marked the  girl,  after  he  had  finished ;  "  can't  you 
find  something  else  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  mate  slowly ;  "  I 
thought  you  were  looking  after  that." 

The  girl  bit  her  lip,  and  was  looking  carefully 
round  her,  when  they  were  both  disturbed  by  the 
unseemly  behaviour  of  the  master  of  a  passing  craft. 

"  Jack !  "  he  yelled  in  a  tone  of  strong  amaze- 
ment, "Jack!" 

"  Halloa !  "  cried  the  mate. 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  us?"  yelled  the  other 
reproachfully. 

"  Tell  you  what  ?  "  roared  the  mystified  mate. 

The  master  of  the  other  craft,  holding  on  to  the 
stays  with  one  hand,  jerked  his  thumb  expressively 
towards  Miss  Cringle,  and  waited. 

"  When  was  it  ?  "  he  screamed  anxiously,  as  he 
realised  that  his  craft  was  rapidly  carrying  him  out 
of  earshot. 

The  mate  smiled  feebly,  and  glanced  uneasily  at 
the  girl,  who,  with  a  fine  colour  and  an  air  of  vast 
unconcern,  was  looking  straight  in  front  of  her; 
and  it  was  a  relief  to  both  of  them  when  they  found 
themselves  hesitating  and  dodging  in  front  of  a 
schooner  which  was  coming  up. 

"  Do  you  want  all  the  river?  "  demanded  the  ex- 
asperated master  of  the  latter  vessel,  running  to  the 
side  as  they  passed.  "  Why  don't  you  drop  anchor 
if  you  want  to  spoon  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  you  'd  better  let  me  take  the  wheel  a 
bit,"  said  the  mate,  not  without  a  little  malice  in  his 
yoice. 

[78] 


THE    SKIPPER    OF    THE    "OSPREY* 

"  No ;  you  can  go  an'  keep  a  look-out  in  the  bows," 
said  the  girl  serenely.  "  It  '11  prevent  misunder- 
standings, too.  Better  take  the  potatoes  with  you 
and  peel  them  for  dinner." 

The  mate  complied,  and  the  voyage  proceeded  in 
silence,  the  steering  being  rendered  a  little  nicer  than 
usual  by  various  nautical  sparks  bringing  their  boats 
a  bit  closer  than  was  necessary  in  order  to  obtain 
a  good  view  of  the  fair  steersman. 

After  dinner,  the  tide  having  turned  and  a  stiff 
head-wind  blowing,  they  brought  up  off  Sheppey. 
It  began  to  rain  hard,  and  the  crew  of  the  Osprey, 
having  made  all  snug  above,  retired  to  the  cabin  to 
resume  their  quarrel. 

"  Don't  mind  me,"  said  Miss  Cringle  scathingly, 
as  the  mate  lit  his  pipe. 

"  Well,  I  did  n't  think  you  minded,"  replied  the 
mate ;  "  the  old  man  " 

"  Who?"  interrupted  Miss  Cringle,  in  a  tone  of 
polite  inquiry. 

"  Captain  Cringle,"  said  the  mate,  correcting  him- 
self, "  smokes  a  great  deal,  and  I  've  heard  him  say 
that  you  liked  the  smell  of  it." 

"  There 's  pipes  and  pipes,"  said  Miss  Cringle 
oracularly. 

The  mate  flung  his  on  the  floor  and  crunched  it 
beneath  his  heel,  then  he  thrust  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  and,  leaning  back,  scowled  darkly  up  at  the 
rain  as  it  crackled  on  the  skylight. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  show  off  your  nasty  temper," 
said  the  girl  severely,  "  you  'd  better  go  forward. 
It 's  not  quite  the  thing  after  all  for  you  to  be  down 
here  —  not  that  I  study  appearances  much." 

[79] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  should  n't  think  you  did,"  retorted  the  mate, 
whose  temper  was  rapidly  getting  the  better  of  him. 
"  I  can't  think  what  your  father  was  thinking  of  to 
let  a  pret  —  to  let  a  girl  like  you  come  away  like 
this." 

"  If  you  were  going  to  say  pretty  girl,"  said  Miss 
Cringle,  with  calm  self-abnegation,  "  don't  mind  me, 
say  it.  The  captain  knows  what  he  's  about.  He 
told  me  you  were  a  milksop;  he  said  you  were  a 
good  young  man  and  a  teetotaller." 

The  mate,  allowing  the  truth  of  the  captain's 
statement  as  to  his  abstinence,  hotly  denied  the 
charge  of  goodness.  "  I  can  understand  your 
father's  hurry  to  get  rid  of  you  for  a  spell,"  he 
concluded,  being  goaded  beyond  all  consideration  of 
politeness.  "  His  gout  'ud  never  get  well  while 
you  were  with  him.  More  than  that,  I  should  n't 
wonder  if  you  were  the  cause  of  it." 

With  this  parting  shot  he  departed,  before  the  girl 
could  think  of  a  suitable  reply,  and  went  and  sulked 
in  the  dingy  little  fo'c'sle. 

In  the  evening,  the  weather  having  moderated 
somewhat,  and  the  tide  being  on  the  ebb,  they  got 
under  way  again,  the  girl  coming  on  deck  fully 
attired  in  an  oilskin  coat  and  sou'-wester  to  resume 
the  command.  The  rain  fell  steadily  as  they  ploughed 
along  their  way,  guided  by  the  bright  eye  of  the 
"  Mouse  "  as  it  shone  across  the  darkening  waters. 
The  mate,  soaked  to  the  skin,  was  at  the  wheel. 

"  Why  don't  you  go  below  and  put  your  oilskins 
on?  "  inquired  the  girl,  when  this  fact  dawned  upon 
her. 

"  Don't  want  'em,"  said  the  mate. 
[80] 


THE    SKIPPER    OF    THE    "OSPREY" 

"  I  suppose  you  know  best,"  said  the  girl,  and  said 
no  more  until  nine  o'clock,  when  she  paused  at  the 
companion  to  give  her  last  orders  for  the  night. 

"  I  'm  going  to  turn  in,"  said  she ;  "  call  me  at 
two  o'clock.  Good-night." 

"  Good-night,"  said  the  other,  and  the  girl  van- 
ished. 

Left  to  himself,  the  mate,  who  began  to  feel  chilly, 
felt  in  his  pockets  for  a  pipe,  and  was  in  all  the  stress 
of  getting  a  light,  when  he  heard  a  thin,  almost  mild 
voice  behind  him,  and,  looking  round,  saw  the  face 
of  the  girl  at  the  companion. 

"  I  say,  are  these  your  oilskins  I  've  been  wear- 
ing? "  she  demanded  awkwardly. 

"  You  're  quite  welcome,"  said  the  mate. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  tell  me?  "  said  the  girl  indig- 
nantly. "  I  would  n't  have  worn  them  for  anything 
if  I  had  known  it." 

"  Well,  they  won't  poison  you,"  said  the  mate 
resentfully.  "  Your  father  left  his  at  Ipswich  to 
have  'em  cobbled  up  a  bit." 

The  girl  passed  them  up  on  the  deck,  and,  closing 
the  companion  with  a  bang,  disappeared.  It  is  possi- 
ble that  the  fatigues  of  the  day  had  been  too  much 
for  her,  for  when  she  awoke,  and  consulted  the  little 
silver  watch  that  hung  by  her  bunk,  it  was  past  five 
o'clock,  and  the  red  glow  of  the  sun  was  flooding  the 
cabin  as  she  arose  "and  hastily  dressed. 

The  deck  was  drying  in  white  patches  as  she  went 
above,  and  the  mate  was  sitting  yawning  at  the 
wheel,  his  eyelids  red  for  want  of  sleep. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  to  call  me  at  two  o'clock?" 
she  demanded,  confronting  him. 

[81] 


MANY    CARGOES 

^ 

"It's  all  right,"  said  the  mate.  "I  thought 
when  you  woke  would  be  soon  enough.  You  looked 
tired." 

"  I  think  you  'd  better  go  when  we  get  to  Ips- 
wich," said  the  girl,  tightening  her  lips.  "  I  '11  ship 
somebody  who  '11  obey  orders." 

"  I  '11  go  when  we  get  back  to  London,"  said  the 
mate.  "  I  '11  hand  this  barge  over  to  the  cap'n,  and 
nobody  else." 

"  Well,  we  '11  see,"  said  the  girl,  as  she  took  the 
wheel.  "  /  think  you  '11  go  at  Ipswich." 

For  the  remainder  of  the  voyage  the  subject  was 
not  alluded  to ;  the  mate,  in  a  spirit  of  sulky  pride 
kept  to  the  fore  part  of  the  boat,  except  when  he  was 
steering,  and,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  girl  ignored 
his  presence.  In  this  spirit  of  mutual  forbearance 
they  entered  the  Orwell,  and  ran  swiftly  up  to 
Ipswich. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  arrived 
there,  and  the  new  skipper,  waiting  only  until  they 
were  made  fast,  went  ashore,  leaving  the  mate  in 
charge.  She  had  been  gone  about  an  hour  when  a 
small  telegraph  boy  appeared,  and,  after  boarding 
the  barge  in  the  unsafest  manner  possible,  handed 
him  a  telegram.  The  mate  read  it  and  his  face 
flushed.  With  even  more  than  the  curtness  cus- 
tomary in  language  at  a  halfpenny  a  word,  it  con- 
tained his  dismissal. 

"  I  've  had  a  telegram  from  your  father  sacking 
me,"  he  said  to  the  girl,  as  she  returned  soon  after, 
laden  with  small  parcels. 

"  Yes,  I  wired  him  to,"  she  replied  calmly.  "  I 
suppose  you  '11  go  now?  " 

[82] 


THE    SKIPPER    OF    THE    "OSPREY" 

"  I  'd  rather  go  back  to  London  with  you,"  he  said 
slowly. 

"  I  daresay,"  said  the  girl.  "  As  a  matter  of  fact 
I  was  n't  really  meaning  for  you  to  go,  but  when  you 
said  you  would  n't  I  thought  we  'd  see  who  was 
master.  I  've  shipped  another  mate,  so  you  see  I 
have  n't  lost  much  time." 

"  Who  is  he?  "  inquired  the  mate. 

"  Man  named  Charlie  Lee,"  replied  the  girl ;  "  the 
foreman  here  told  me  of  him." 

<*  He  'd  no  business  to,"  said  the  mate,  frowning; 
"  he  's  a  loose  fish ;  take  my  advice  now  and  ship 
somebody  else.  He  's  not  at  all  the  sort  of  chap  I  'd 
choose  for  you  to  sail  with." 

"  You  'd  choose,"  said  the  girl  scornfully ;  "  dear 
me,  what  a  pity  you  did  n't  tell  me  before." 

"  He 's  a  public-house  loafer,"  said  the  mate, 
meeting  her  eye  angrily,  "  and  about  as  bad  as  they 
make  'em ;  but  I  s'pose  you  '11  have  your  own  way." 

"  He  won't  frighten  me,"  said  the  girl.  "  I  'm 
quite  capable  of  taking  care  of  myself,  thank  you. 
Good  evening." 

The  mate  stepped  ashore  with  a  small  bundle, 
leaving  the  remainder  of  his  possessions  to  go  back 
to  London  with  the  barge.  The  girl  watched  his 
well-knit  figure  as  it  strode  up  the  quay  until  it  was 
out  of  sight,  and  then,  inwardly  piqued  because  he 
had  not  turned  round  for  a  parting  glance,  gave  a 
little  sigh,  and  went  below  to  tea. 

The  docile  and  respectful  behaviour  of  the  new- 
comer was  a  pleasant  change  to  the  autocrat  of  the 
Osprey,  and  cargoes  were  worked  out  and  in  without 
an  unpleasant  word.  They  laid  at  the  quay  for  two 

[83] 


MANY    CARGOES 

3ays,  the  new  mate,  whose  home  was  at  Ipswich, 
sleeping  ashore,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  third 
he  turned  up  punctually  at  six  o'clock,  and  they 
started  on  their  return  voyage. 

"  Well,  you  do  know  how  to  handle  a  craft,"  said 
Lee  admiringly,  as  they  passed  down  the  river. 
"  The  old  boat  seems  to  know  it 's  got  a  pretty  young 
lady  in  charge." 

"  Don't  talk  rubbish,"  said  the  girl  austerely. 

The  new  mate  carefully  adjusted  his  red  necktie 
and  smiled  indulgently. 

"  Well,  you  're  the  prettiest  cap'n  I  've  ever  sailed 
under,"  he  said.  "  What  do  they  call  that  red  cap 
you've  got  on?  Tam-o'-Shanter  is  it?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  girl  shortly. 

"  You  mean  you  won't  tell  me,"  said  the  other, 
with  a  look  of  anger  in  his  soft  dark  eyes. 

"  Just  as  you  like,"  said  she,  and  Lee,  whistling 
softly,  turned  on  his  heel  and  began  to  busy  himself 
with  some  small  matter  forward. 

The  rest  of  the  day  passed  quietly,  though  there 
was  a  freedom  in  the  new  mate's  manner  which 
made  the  redoubtable  skipper  of  the  Osprey  regret 
her  change  of  crew,  and  to  treat  him  with  more  civ- 
ility than  her  proud  spirit  quite  approved  of.  There 
was  but  little  wind,  and  the  barge  merely  crawled 
along  as  the  captain  and  mate,  with  surreptitious 
glances,  took  each  other's  measure. 

"  This  is  the  nicest  trip  I  've  ever  had,"  said  Lee, 
as  he  came  up  from  an  unduly  prolonged  tea,  with  a 
strong-smelling  cigar  in  his  mouth.  "  I  've  brought 
your  jacket  up." 

"  I  don't  want  it,  thank  you,"  said  the  girl. 
[84? 


THE    SKIPPER    OF    THE    "OSPREY" 

"  Better  have  it,"  said  Lee,  holding  it  up  for  her. 

"  When  I  want  my  jacket  I  '11  put  it  on  myself," 
said  the  girl. 

"All  right,  no  offence,"  said  the  other  airily. 
"  What  an  obstinate  little  devil  you  are." 

"  Have  you  got  any  drink  down  there?  "  inquired 
the  girl,  eyeing  him  sternly. 

"  Just  a  little  drop  o'  whiskey,  my  dear,  for  the 
spasms,"  said  Lee  facetiously.  "  Will  you  have  a 
drop?" 

"  I  won't  have  any  drinking  here,"  said  she 
sharply.  "If  you  want  to  drink,  wait  till  you  get 
ashore." 

"  You  won't  have  any  drinking !  "  said  the  other, 
opening  his  eyes,  and  with  a  quiet  chuckle  he  dived 
below  and  brought  up  a  bottle  and  a  glass.  "  Here 's 
wishing  a  better  temper  to  you,  my  dear,"  he  said 
amiably,  as  he  tossed  off  a  glass.  "  Come,  you  'd 
better  have  a  drop.  It  '11  put  a  little  colour  in  your 
cheeks." 

"  Put  it  away  now,  there  's  a  good  fellow,"  said 
the  captain  timidly,  as  she  looked  anxiously  at  the 
nearest  sail,  some  two  miles  distant. 

"  It 's  the  only  friend  I  've  got,"  said  Lee,  sprawl- 
ing gracefully  on  the  hatches,  and  replenishing  his 
glass.  "  Look  here.  Are  you  on  for  a  bargain?" 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  inquired  the  girl. 

"  Give  me  a  kiss,  little  spitfire,  and  I  won't  take 
another  drop  to-night,"  said  the  new  mate  tenderly. 
"  Come,  I  won't  tell." 

"  You  may  drink  yourself  to  death  before  I  '11  do 
that,"  said  the  girl,  striving  to  speak  calmly.  "Don't 
talk  that  nonsense  to  me  again." 

[85] 


MANY    CARGOES 

She  stooped  over  as  she  spoke  and  made  a  sudden 
grab  at  the  bottle,  but  the  new  mate  was  too  quick 
for  her,  and,  snatching  it  up  jeeringly,  dared  her  to 
come  for  it. 

"  Come  on,  come  and  fight  for  it,"  said  he;  "  hit 
me  if  you  like,  I  don't  mind;  your  little  fist  won't 
hurt."' 

No  answer  being  vouchsafed  to  this  invitation  he 
applied  himself  to  his  only  friend  again,  while  the 
girl,  now  thoroughly  frightened,  steered  in  silence. 

"  Better  get  the  sidelights  out,"  said  she  at  length. 

"  Plenty  o'  time,"  said  Lee. 

"  Take  the  helm,  then,  while  I  do  it,"  said  the  girl, 
biting  her  lips. 

The  fellow  rose  and  came  towards  her,  and,  as 
she  made  way  for  him,  threw  his  arm  round  her 
waist  and  tried  to  detain  her.  Her  heart  beating 
quickly,  she  walked  forward,  and,  not  without  a 
hesitating  glance  at  the  drunken  figure  at  the  wheel, 
descended  into  the  fo'c'sle  for  the  lamps. 

The  next  moment,  with  a  gasping  little  cry,  she 
sank  down  on  a  locker  as  the  dark  figure  of  a  man 
rose  and  stood  by  her. 

"  Don't  be  frightened,"  it  said  quietly. 

"Jack?"  said  the  girl. 

"  That 's  me,"  said  the  figure.  "  You  did  n't 
expect  to  see  me,  did  you?  I  thought  perhaps  you 
did  n't  know  what  was  good  for  you,  so  I  stowed 
myself  away  last  night,  and  here  I  am." 

"  Have  you  heard  what  that  fellow  has  been  say- 
ing to  me?"  demanded  Miss  Cringle,  with  a  spice 
of  the  old  temper  leavening  her  voice  once  more. 

"  Every  word,"  said  the  mate  cheerfully. 
[86] 


THE    SKIPPER    OF    THE    "OSPREY" 

\ 

"  Why  did  n't  you  come  up  and  stand  by  me?  " 
inquired  the  girl  hotly. 

The  mate  hung  his  head. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  girl,  and  her  tones  were  those  of 
acute  disappointment,  "  you  're  afraid." 

"  I  'm  not,"  said  the  mate  scornfully. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  come  up,  then,  instead  of 
skulking  down  here  ?  "  inquired  the  girl. 

The  mate  scratched  the  back  of  his  neck  and 

smiled,  but  weakly.  "  Well,  I  —  I  thought  " 

he  began,  and  stopped. 

"  You  thought " prompted  Miss  Cringle 

coldly. 

"  I  thought  a  little  fright  would  do  you  good," 
said  the  mate,  speaking  quickly,  "  and  that  it  would 
make  you  appreciate  me  a  little  more  when  I  did 
come." 

"  Ahoy!  Maggie!  Maggie!  "  came  the  voice  of 
the  graceless  varlet  who  was  steering. 

"  I  '11  Maggie  him,"  said  the  mate,  grinding  his 
teeth.  "  Why,  what  the  —  why  you  're  crying." 

"  I  'm  not,"  sobbed  Miss  Cringle  scornfully. 
"  I  'm  in  a  temper,  that 's  all." 

"  I  '11  knock  his  head  off,"  said  the  mate ;  "  you 
stay  down  here." 

"Mag-gt>/"  came  the  voice  again,  "Mag  — 
HULLO!" 

"  Were  you  calling  me,  my  lad  ?  "  said  the  mate, 
with  dangerous  politeness,  as  he  stepped  aft.  "  Ain't 
you  afraid  of  straining  that  sweet  voice  o'  yours? 
Leave  go  o'  that  tiller." 

The  other  let  go,  and  the  mate's  fist  took  him 
heavily  in  the  face  and  sent  him  sprawling  on  the 

[87] 


MANY    CARGOES 

3eck.  He  rose  with  a  scream  of  rage  and  rushed  at 
his  opponent,  but  the  mate's  temper,  which  had  suf- 
fered badly  through  his  treatment  of  the  last  few 
days,  was  up,  and  he  sent  him  heavily  down  again. 

"  There  's  a  little  dark  dingy  hole  forward,"  said 
the  mate,  after  waiting  some  time  for  him  to  rise 
again,  "  just  the  place  for  you  to  go  and  think  over 
your  sins  in.  If  I  see  you  come  out  of  it  until  we 
get  to  London,  I  '11  hurt  you.  Now  clear." 

The  other  cleared,  and,  carefully  avoiding  the  girl, 
who  was  standing  close  by,  disappeared  below. 

"  You  've  hurt  him,"  said  the  girl,  coming  up  to 
the  mate  and  laying  her  hand  on  his  arm.  "  What 
a  horrid  temper  you  Ve  got." 

"  It  was  him  asking  you  to  kiss  him  that  upset 
me,"  said  the  mate  apologetically. 

"  He  put  his  arm  round  my  waist,"  said  Miss 
Cringle,  blushing. 

"  What!9'  said  the  mate,  stuttering,  "put  his  — 
put  his  arm  —  round  —  your  waist  —  like  " 

His  courage  suddenly  forsook  him. 

"  Like  what  ? "  inquired  the  girl,  with  superb 
innocence. 

"  Like  that"  said  the  mate  manfully. 

"  That  '11  do,"  said  Miss  Cringle  softly,  "  that  '11 
do.  You  're  as  bad  as  he  is,  only  the  worst  of  it  is 
there  is  nobody  here  to  prevent  you." 


188] 


IN   BORROWED   PLUMES 

THE  master  of  the  Sarah  Jane  had  been 
missing  for  two  days,  and  all  on  board, 
with  the  exception  of  the  boy,  whom  no- 
body troubled  about,  were  full  of  joy  at  the  circum- 
stance. Twice  before  had  the  skipper,  whose  habits 
might,  perhaps,  be  best  described  as  irregular, 
missed  his  ship,  and  word  had  gone  forth  that  the 
third  time  would  be  the  last.  His  berth  was  a  good 
one,  and  the  mate  wanted  it  in  place  of  his  own, 
which  was  wanted  by  Ted  Jones,  A.B. 

"  Two  hours  more,"  said  the  mate  anxiously  to 
the  men,  as  they  stood  leaning  against  the  side, 
"  and  I  take  the  ship  out." 

"  Under  two  hours  '11  do  it,"  said  Ted,  peering 
over  the  side  and  watching  the  water  as  it  slowly 
rose  over  the  mud.  "  What 's  got  the  old  man,  I 
wonder?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  and  I  don't  care,"  said  the  mate. 
"  You  chaps  stand  by  me  and  it  '11  be  good  for  all 
of  us.  Mr.  Pearson  said  distinct  the  last  time  that 
if  the  skipper  ever  missed  his  ship  again  it  would 
be  his  last  trip  in  her,  and  he  told  me  afore  the  old 
man  that  I  was  n't  to  wait  two  minutes  at  any  time, 
but  to  bring  her  out  right  away." 

[89] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"He's  an  old  fool,"  said  Bill  Loch,  the  other 
hand ;  "  and  nobody  '11  miss  him  but  the  boy,  and 
he  's  been  looking  reg'lar  worried  all  the  morning. 
He  looked  so  worried  at  dinner  time  that  I  give  'im 
a  kick  to  cheer  him  up  a  bit.  Look  at  him  now." 

The  mate  gave  a  supercilious  glance  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  boy,  and  then  turned  away.  The  boy, 
who  had  no  idea  of  courting  observation,  stowed 
himself  away  behind  the  windlass;  and,  taking  a 
letter  from  his  pocket,  perused  it  for  the  fourth  time. 

"  Dear  Tommy,"  it  began.  "  I  take  my  pen  in 
and  to  inform  you  that  Ime  stayin  here  and  cant  get 
away  for  the  reason  that  I  lorst  my  does  at  cribage 
larst  night,  also  my  money,  and  everything  beside. 
Dont  speek  to  a  living  sole  about  it  as  the  mate  wants 
my  birth,  but  pack  up  sum  does  and  bring  them  to 
me  without  saying  nuthing  to  noboddy.  The  mates 
cloths  will  do  becos  I  havent  got  enny  other  soot, 
dont  tell  'im.  You  needen't  trouble  about  soks  as 
I  Ve  got  them  left.  My  hed  is  so  bad  I  must  now 
conclude.  Your  affecshunate  uncle  and  captin  Joe 
Bross.  P.S.  Dont  let  the  mate  see  you  come,  or 
else  he  wont  let  you  go." 

"  Two  hours  more,"  sighed  Tommy,  as  he  put  the 
letter  back  in  his  pocket.  "  How  can  I  get  any 
clothes  when  they  're  all  locked  up  ?  And  aunt  said 
I  was  to  look  after  'im  and  see  he  did  n't  get  into  no 
mischief." 

He  sat  thinking  deeply,  and  then,  as  the  crew  of 
the  Sarah  Jane  stepped  ashore  to  take  advantage  of 
a  glass  offered  by  the  mate,  he  crept  down  to  the 
cabin  again  for  another  desperate  look  round.  The 
only  articles  of  clothing  visible  belonged  to  Mrs. 

[90] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

Bross,  who  up  to  this  trip  had  been  sailing  in  the 
schooner  to  look  after  its  master.  At  these  he 
gazed  hard. 

"  I  '11  take  'em  and  try  an'  swop  'em  for  some 
men's  clothes,"  said  he  suddenly,  snatching  the  gar- 
ments from  the  pegs.  "  She  would  n't  mind  "  ;  and 
hastily  rolling  them  into  a  parcel,  together  with  a  pair 
of  carpet  slippers  of  the  captain's,  he  thrust  the  lot 
into  an  old  biscuit  bag.  Then  he  shouldered  his  bur- 
den, and,  going  cautiously  on  deck,  gained  the  shore, 
and  set  off  at  a  trot  to  the  address  furnished  in  the 
letter. 

It  was  a  long  way,  and  the  bag  was  heavy.  His 
first  attempt  at  barter  was  alarming,  for  the  pawn- 
broker, who  had  just  been  cautioned  by  the  police, 
was  in  such  a  severe  and  uncomfortable  state  of 
morals,  that  the  boy  quickly  snatched  up  his  bundle 
again  and  left.  Sorely  troubled  he  walked  hastily 
along,  until,  in  a  small  bye  street,  his  glance  fell  upon 
a  baker  of  mild  and  benevolent  aspect,  standing 
behind  the  counter  of  his  shop. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  Tommy,  entering,  and 
depositing  his  bag  on  the  counter,  "  have  you  got 
any  cast-off  clothes  you  don't  want  ?  " 

The  baker  turned  to  a  shelf,  and  selecting  a  stale 
loaf  cut  it  in  halves,  one  of  which  he  placed  before 
the  boy. 

"  I  don't  want  bread,"  said  Tommy  desperately ; 
"  but  mother  has  just  died,  and  father  wants  mourn- 
ing for  the  funeral.  He  's  only  got  a  new  suit  with 
him,  and  if  he  can  change  these  things  of  mother's 
for  an  old  suit,  he  'd  sell  his  best  ones  to  bury  her 
With." 


MANY    CARGOES 

He  shook  the  articles  out  on  the  counter,  and  the 
baker's  wife,  who  had  just  come  into  the  shop,  in- 
spected them  rather  favourably. 

"  Poor  boy,  so  you  've  lost  your  mother,"  she 
said,  turning  the  clothes  over.  "  It 's  a  good  skirt, 
Bill." 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Tommy  dolefully. 

"  What  did  she  die  of  ?  "  inquired  the  baker. 

"  Scarlet  fever,"  said  Tommy,  tearfully,  mention- 
ing the  only  disease  he  knew. 

"  Scar Take  them  things  away,"  yelled  the 

baker,  pushing  the  clothes  on  to  the  floor,  and  fol- 
lowing his  wife  to  the  other  end  of  the  shop.  "  Take 
'em  away  directly,  you  young  villain." 

His  voice  was  so  loud,  his  manner  so  imperative, 
that  the  startled  boy,  without  stopping  to  argue, 
stuffed  the  clothes  pell-mell  into  the  bag  again  and 
departed.  A  farewell  glance  at  the  clock  made  him 
look  almost  as  horrified  as  the  baker. 

"  There 's  no  time  to  be  lost,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
began  to  run ;  "  either  the  old  man  '11  have  to  come 
in  these  or  else  stay  where  he  is." 

He  reached  the  house  breathless,  and  paused  be- 
fore an  unshaven  man  in  time-worn  greasy  clothes, 
who  was  smoking  a  short  clay  pipe  with  much  en- 
joyment in  front  of  the  door. 

"  Is  Cap'n  Bross  here  ?  "  he  panted. 

"  He  's  upstairs,"  said  the  man,  with  a  leer,  "  sit- 
ting in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  more  ashes  than  sack- 
cloth. Have  you  got  some  clothes  for  him  ?  " 

"  Look  here,"  said  Tommy.  He  was  down  on  his 
knees  with  the  mouth  of  the  bag  open  again,  quite  in 
the  style  of  the  practised  hawker.  "  Give  me  an 

[92] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

old  suit  of  clothes  for  them.  Hurry  up.  There's 
a  lovely  frock." 

"  Blimey,"  said  the  man,  staring.  "  I  've  only 
got  these  clothes.  Wot  d'  yer  take  me  for  ?  A 
dook?" 

"  Well,  get  me  some  somewhere,"  said  Tommy. 
"  If  you  don't  the  cap'n  '11  have  to  come  in  these, 
and  I  'm  sure  he  won't  like  it." 

"  I  wonder  what  he  'd  look  like,"  said  the  man, 
with  a  grin.  "  Damme  if  I  don't  come  up  and 
see." 

"  Get  me  some  clothes,"  pleaded  Tommy. 

"  I  would  n't  get  you  clothes,  no,  not  for  fifty 
pun,"  said  the  man  severely.  "  Wot  d'  yer  mean 
wanting  to  spoil  people's  pleasure  in  that  way? 
Come  on,  come  and  tell  the  cap'n  what  you  Ve  got 
for  'im,  I  want  to  'ear  what  he  ses.  He  's  been 
swearing  'ard  since  ten  o'clock  this  morning,  but  he 
ought  to  say  something  special  over  this." 

He  led  the  way  up  the  bare  wooden  stairs,  fol- 
lowed by  the  harassed  boy,  and  entered  a  small  dirty 
room  at  the  top,  in  the  centre  of  which  the  master  of 
the  Sarah  Jane  sat  to  deny  visitors,  in  a  pair  of  socks 
and  last  week's  paper. 

"  Here  's  a  young  gent  come  to  bring  you  some 
clothes,  cap'n,"  said  the  man,  taking  the  sack  from 
the  boy. 

"Why  didn't  you  come  before?"  growled  the 
captain,  who  was  reading  the  advertisements. 

The  man  put  his  hand  in  the  sack,  and  pulled  out 
the  clothes.  "What  do  you  think  of  'em?"  he 
asked  expectantly. 

The  captain  strove  vainly  to  tell  him,  but  his 

[93] 


MANY    CARGOES 

tongue  mercifully  forsook  its  office,  and  dried  be- 
tween his  lips.  His  brain  rang  with  sentences  of 
scorching  iniquity,  but  they  got  no  further. 

"Well,  say  thank  you,  if  you  can't  say  nothing 
else,"  suggested  his  tormentor  hopefully. 

"  I  could  n't  bring  nothing  else,"  said  Tommy 
hurriedly;  "  all  the  things  was  locked  up.  I  tried  to 
swop  'em  and  nearly  got  locked  up  for  it.  Put  these 
on  and  hurry  up." 

The  captain  moistened  his  lips  with  his  tongue. 

"  The  mate  '11  get  off  directly  she  floats,"  contin- 
ued Tommy.  "  Put  these  on  and  spoil  his  little 
game.  It 's  raining  a  little  now.  Nobody  '11  see 
you,  and  as  soon  as  you  git  aboard  you  can  borrow 
some  of  the  men's  clothes." 

"  That 's  the  ticket,  cap'n,"  said  the  man.  "  Lord 
lumme,  you  '11  'ave  everybody  falling  in  love  with 
you." 

"  Hurry  up,"  said  Tommy,  dancing  with  impa- 
tience. "  Hurry  up." 

The  skipper,  dazed  and  wild-eyed,  stood  still  while 
his  two  assistants  hastily  dressed  him,  bickering 
somewhat  about  details  as  they  did  so. 

"  He  ought  to  be  tight-laced,  I  tell  you,"  said  the 
man. 

"  He  can't  be  tight-laced  without  stays,"  said 
Tommy  scornfully.  "  You  ought  to  know  that." 

"Ho,  can't  he,"  said  the  other,  discomfited.  "You 
know  too  much  for  a  young-un.  Well,  put  a  bit 
o'  line  round  'im  then." 

"  We  can't  wait  for  a  line,"  said  Tommy,  who  was 
standing  on  tip-toe  to  tie  the  skipper's  bonnet  on. 
"  Now  tie  the  scarf  over  his  chin  to  hide  his  beard, 

[94] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

and  put  this  veil  on.  It 's  a  good  job  he  ain't  got 
a  moustache." 

The  other  complied,  and  then  fell  back  a  pace  or 
two  to  gaze  at  his  handiwork.  "  Strewth,  though 
I  sees  it  as  should  n't,  you  look  a  treat !  "  he  re- 
marked complacently.  "  Now,  young-un,  take  'old 
of  his  arm.  Go  up  the  back  streets,  and  if  you  see 
anybody  looking  at  you,  call  'im  Mar." 

The  two  set  off,  after  the  man,  who  was  a  born 
realist,  had  tried  to  snatch  a  kiss  from  the  skipper 
on  the  threshold.  Fortunately  for  the  success  of  the 
venture,  it  was  pelting  with  rain,  and,  though  a  few 
people  gazed  curiously  at  the  couple  as  they  went 
hastily  along,  they  were  unmolested,  and  gained  the 
wharf  in  safety,  arriving  just  in  time  to  see  the 
schooner  shoving  off  from  the  side. 

At  the  sight  the  skipper  held  up  his  skirts  and  ran. 
"  Ahoy !  "  he  shouted.  "  Wait  a  minute." 

The  mate  gave  one  look  of  blank  astonishment  at 
the  extraordinary  figure,  and  then  turned  away ;  but 
at  that  moment  the  stern  came  within  jumping  dis- 
tance of  the  wharf,  and  uncle  and  nephew,  moved 
with  one  impulse  leaped  for  it  and  gained  the  deck 
in  safety. 

"  Why  did  n't  you  wait  when  I  hailed  you?  "  de- 
manded the  skipper  fiercely. 

"  How  was  I  to  know  it  was  you?  "  inquired  the 
mate  surlily,  as  he  realised  his  defeat.  "  I  thought 
it  was  the  Empress  of  Rooshia." 

The  skipper  stared  at  him  dumbly. 

"  An'  if  you  take  my  advice,"  said  the  mate,  with 
a  sneer,  "  you  '11  keep  them  things  on.  /  never  see 
you  look  so  well  in  anything  afore." 

f95l 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  want  to  borrow  some  o'  your  clothes,  Bob," 
said  the  skipper,  eyeing  him  steadily. 

"  Where  's  your  own?  "  asked  the  other. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  skipper.  "  I  was  took 
with  a  fit  last  night,  Bob,  and  when  I  woke  up 
this  morning  they  were  gone.  Somebody  must 
have  took  advantage  of  my  helpless  state  and 
taken  'em." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  the  mate,  turning  away  to 
shout  an  order  to  the  crew,  who  were  busy  setting 
sail. 

"Where  are  they,  old  man?"  inquired  the  skipper. 

"  How  should  I  know  ?  "  asked  the  other,  becom- 
ing interested  in  the  men  again. 

"  I  mean  your  clothes,"  said  the  skipper,  who  was 
fast  losing  his  temper. 

"  Oh,  mine?  "  said  the  mate.  "  Well,  as  a  matter 
o'  fact,  I  don't  like  lending  my  clothes.  I  'm  rather 
pertickler.  You  might  have  a  fit  in  them." 

"  You  won't  lend  'em  to  me?  "  asked  the  skipper. 

"  I  won't,"  said  the  mate,  speaking  loudly,  and 
frowning  significantly  at  the  crew,  who  were 
listening. 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  skipper.  "  Ted,  come 
here.  Where's  your  other  clothes?" 

"  I  'm  very  sorry,  sir,"  said  Ted,  shifting  uneasily 
from  one  leg  to  the  other,  and  glancing  at  the  mate 
for  support ;  "  but  they  ain't  fit  for  the  likes  of  you 
to  wear,  sir." 

"  I  'm  the  best  judge  of  that,"  said  the  skipper 
sharply.  "  Fetch  'em  up." 

"  Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  sir,"  said  Ted,  "  I  'm 
like  the  mate.  I  'm  only  a  poor  sailor-man,  but 

[96] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

I  would  n't  lend  my  clothes  to  the  Queen  of 
England." 

"  You  fetch  up  them  clothes,"  roared  the  skipper, 
snatching  off  his  bonnet  and  flinging  it  on  the  deck. 
"  Fetch  'em  up  at  once.  D'  ye  think  I  'm  going 
about  in  these  petticuts?" 

"  They  're  my  clothes,"  muttered  Ted  doggedly. 

"Very  well,  then,  I'll  have  Bill's,"  said  the 
skipper.  "  But  mind  you,  my  lad,  I  '11  make  you 
pay  for  this  afore  I  've  done  with  you.  Bill 's  the 
only  honest  man  aboard  this  ship.  Gimme  your 
hand,  Bill,  old  man." 

"  I  'm  with  them  two,"  said  Bill  gruffly,  as  he 
turned  away. 

The  skipper,  biting  his  lips  with  fury,  turned 
from  one  to  the  other,  and  then,  with  a  big  oath, 
walked  forward.  Before  he  could  reach  the  fo'c'sle 
Bill  and  Ted  dived  down  before  him,  and,  by  the 
time  he  had  descended,  sat  on  their  chests  side  by 
side  confronting  him.  To  threats  and  appeals  alike 
they  turned  a  deaf  ear,  and  the  frantic  skipper  was 
compelled  at  last  to  go  on  deck  again,  still  encum- 
bered with  the  hated  skirts. 

"  Why  don't  you  go  an'  lay  down,"  said  the  mate, 
"  an'  I  '11  send  you  down  a  nice  cup  o'  hot  tea. 
You  '11  get  histericks,  if  you  go  on  like  that." 

"  I  '11  knock  your  'ead  off  if  you  talk  to  me,"  said 
the  skipper. 

"  Not  you,"  said  the  mate  cheerfully ;  "  you  ain't 
big  enough.  Look  at  that  pore  fellow  over  there." 

The  skipper  looked  in  the  direction  indicated,  and, 
swelling  with  impotent  rage,  shook  his  fist  fiercely  at 
a  red-faced  man  with  grey  whiskers,  who  was  waft- 

3  [  97  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

ing  innumerable  tender  kisses  from  the  bridge  of  a 
passing  steamer. 

"  That 's  right,"  said  the  mate  approvingly ; 
"  don't  give  'im  no  encouragement.  Love  at  first 
sight  ain't  worth  having." 

The  skipper,  suffering  severely  from  suppressed 
emotion,  went  below,  and  the  crew,  after  waiting  a 
little  while  to  make  sure  that  he  was  not  coming  up 
again,  made  their  way  quietly  to  the  mate. 

"  If  we  can  only  take  him  to  Battlesea  in  this  rig 
it  '11  be  all  right,"  said  the  latter.  "  You  chaps  stand 
by  me.  His  slippers  and  sou'-wester  is  the  only 
clothes  he  's  got  aboard.  Chuck  every  needle  you 
can  lay  your  hands  on  overboard,  or  else  he  '11  git 
trying  to  make  a  suit  out  of  a  piece  of  old  sail  or 
something.  If  we  can  only  take  him  to  Mr.  Pearson 
like  this,  it  won't  be  so  bad  after  all." 

While  these  arrangements  were  in  hand  above, 
the  skipper  and  the  boy  were  busy  over  others  below. 
Various  startling  schemes  propounded  by  the  skipper 
for  obtaining  possession  of  his  men's  attire  were 
rejected  by  the  youth  as  unlawful,  and,  what  was 
worse,  impracticable.  For  a  couple  of  hours  they 
discussed  ways  and  means,  but  only  ended  in  dia- 
tribes against  the  mean  ways  of  the  crew ;  and  the 
skipper,  whose  head  ached  still  from  his  excesses, 
fell  into  a  state  of  sullen  despair  at  length,  and  sat 
silent. 

"  By  Jove,  Tommy,  I  've  got  it,"  he  cried  sud- 
denly, starting  up  and  hitting  the  table  with  his  fist. 
"  Where  's  your  other  suit?  " 

"  That  ain't  no  bigger  than  this  one,"  said 
[Tommy. 

[98] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

"  You  git  it  out,"  said  the  skipper,  with  a  knowing 
toss  of  his  head.  "  Ah,  there  we  are.  Now  go  in 
my  state-room  and  take  those  off." 

The  wondering  Tommy,  who  thought  that  great 
grief  had  turned  his  kinsman's  brain,  complied,  and 
emerged  shortly  afterwards  in  a  blanket,  bringing 
his  clothes  under  his  arm. 

"  Now,  do  you  know  what  I  'm  going  to  do  ?  " 
inquired  the  skipper,  with  a  big  smile. 

"  No." 

"  Fetch  me  the  scissors,  then.  Now  do  you  know 
what  I  'm  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Cut  up  the  two  suits  and  make  'em  into  one," 
hazarded  the  horror-stricken  Tommy.  "  Here,  stop 
it!  Leave  off!" 

The  skipper  pushed  him  impatiently  off,  and, 
placing  the  clothes  on  the  table,  took  up  the  scissors, 
and,  with  a  few  slashing  strokes,  cut  the  garments 
into  their  component  parts. 

"  What  am  /  to  wear?  "  said  Tommy,  beginning 
to  blubber.  "  You  did  n't  think  of  that?  " 

"  What  are  you  to  wear,  you  selfish  young  pig  ?  " 
said  the  skipper  sternly.  "  Always  thinking  about 
yourself.  Go  and  git  some  needles  and  thread,  and 
if  there  's  any  left  over,  and  you  're  a  good  boy,  I  '11 
see  whether  I  can't  make  something  for  you  out  of 
the  leavings." 

"  There  ain't  no  needles  here,"  whined  Tommy, 
after  a  lengthened  search. 

"  Go  down  the  fo'c'sle  and  git  the  case  of  sail- 
makers'  needles,  then,"  said  the  skipper.  "  Don't 
let  anyone  see  what  you  're  after,  an'  some  thread." 

"  Well,  why  could  n't  you  let  me  go  in  my  clothes 

[99] 


MANY    CARGOES 

before  you  cut  'em  up?  "  moaned  Tommy.  "  I  don't 
like  going  up  in  this  blanket.  They  '11  laugh  at  me." 

"You  go  at  once!"  thundered  the  skipper,  and, 
turning  his  back  on  him,  whistled  softly,  and  began 
to  arrange  Uie  pieces  of  cloth. 

"  Laugh  away,  my  lads,"  he  said  cheerfully,  as 
an  uproarious  burst  of  laughter  greeted  the  appear- 
ance of  Tommy  on  deck.  "  Wait  a  bit." 

He  waited  himself  for  nearly  twenty  minutes,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  Tommy,  treading  on  his 
blanket,  came  flying  down  the  companion-ladder, 
and  rolled  into  the  cabin. 

"  There  ain't  a  needle  aboard  the  ship,"  he  said 
solemnly,  as  he  picked  himself  up  and  rubbed  his 
head.  "  I  've  looked  everywhere." 

"  What  ?  "  roared  the  skipper,  hastily  concealing 
the  pieces  of  cloth.  "  Here,  Ted !  Ted !  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  said  Ted,  as  he  came  below. 

"  I  want  a  sail-maker's  needle,"  said  the  skipper 
glibly.  "  I  've  got  a  rent  in  this  skirt." 

"  I  broke  the  last  one  yesterday,"  said  Ted,  with 
an  evil  grin. 

"  Any  other  needle  then,"  said  the  skipper,  trying 
to  conceal  his  emotion. 

"  I  don't  believe  there  's  such  a  thing  aboard  the 
ship,"  said  Ted,  who  had  obeyed  the  mate's  thought- 
ful injunction.  "  Nor  thread.  I  was  only  saying 
so  to  the  mate  yesterday." 

The  skipper  sank  again  to  the  lowest  depths, 
waved  him  away,  and  then,  getting  on  a  corner  of 
the  locker,  fell  into  a  gloomy  reverie. 

"  It 's  a  pity  you  do  things  in  such  a  hurry,"  said 
iTommy,  sniffing  vindictively.  "You  might  have 
[100] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

made  sure  of  the  needle  before  you  spoiled  my 
clothes.  There 's  two  of  us  going  about  ridiculous 
now." 

The  master  of  the  Sarah  Jane  allowed  this  inso- 
lence to  pass  unheeded.  It  is  in  moments  of  deep 
distress  that  the  mind  of  man,  naturally  reverting 
to  solemn  things,  seeks  to  improve  the  occasion  by 
a  lecture.  The  skipper,  chastened  by  suffering  and 
disappointment,  stuck  his  right  hand  in  his  pocket, 
after  a  lengthened  search  for  it,  and  gently  bidding 
the  blanketed  urchin  in  front  of  him  to  sit  down, 
began: 

"  You  see  what  comes  of  drink  and  cards,"  he  said 
mournfully.  "  Instead  of  being  at  the  helm  of  my 
ship,  racing  all  the  other  craft  down  the  river,  I  'm 
skulkin'  down  below  here  like  —  like  " 

"  Like  an  actress,"  suggested  Tommy. 

The  skipper  eyed  him  all  over.  Tommy,  uncon- 
scious of  offence,  met  his  gaze  serenely. 

"  If,"  continued  the  skipper,  "  at  any  time  you  felt 
like  taking  too  much,  and  you  stopped  with  the  beer- 
mug  half-way  to  your  lips,  and  thought  of  me  sitting 
in  this  disgraceful  state,  what  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  dunno,"  replied  Tommy,  yawning. 

"  What  would  you  do  ?  "  persisted  the  skipper, 
with  great  expression. 

"  Laugh,  I  s'pose,"  said  Tommy,  after  a  moment's 
thought. 

The  sound  of  a  well-boxed  ear  rang  through  the 
cabin. 

"  You  're  an  unnatural,  ungrateful  little  toad," 
said  the  skipper  fiercely.     "  You  don't  deserve  to 
have  a  good,  kind  uncle  to  look  after  you." 
[101] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Anybody  can  have  him  for  me,"  sobbed  th« 
indignant  Tommy,  as  he  tenderly  felt  his  ear.  "You 
look  a  precious  sight  more  like  an  aunt  than  an 
uncle." 

After  firing  this  shot  he  vanished  in  a  cloud  of 
blanket,  and  the  skipper,  reluctantly  abandoning  a 
hastily-formed  resolve  of  first  flaying  him  alive  and 
then  flinging  him  overboard,  sat  down  again  and  lit 
his  pipe. 

Once  out  of  the  river  he  came  on  deck  again,  and, 
ignoring  by  a  great  effort  the  smiles  of  the  crew  and 
the  jibes  of  the  mate,  took  command.  The  only 
alteration  he  made  in  his  dress  was  to  substitute  his 
sou'-wester  for  the  bonnet,  and  in  this  guise  he  did 
his  work  while  the  aggrieved  Tommy  hopped  it  in 
blankets.  The  three  days  at  sea  passed  like  a  horrid 
dream.  So  covetous  was  his  gaze,  that  the  crew  in- 
stinctively clutched  their  nether  garments  and  looked 
to  the  buttoning  of  their  coats  as  they  passed  him. 
He  saw  coats  in  the  mainsail,  and  fashioned  phan- 
tom trousers  out  of  the  flying  jib,  and  towards  the 
end  began  to  babble  of  blue  serges  and  mixed  tweeds. 
Oblivious  of  fame,  he  had  resolved  to  enter  the  har- 
bour of  Battlesea  by  night;  but  it  was  not  to  be. 
Near  home  the  wind  dropped,  and  the  sun  was  well 
up  before  Battlesea  came  into  view,  a  grey  bank  on 
the  starboard  bow. 

Until  within  a  mile  of  the  harbour,  the  skipper 
held  on,  and  then  his  grasp  on  the  wheel  relaxed 
somewhat,  and  he  looked  round  anxiously  for  the 
mate. 

"  Where  's  Bob?  "  he  shouted. 
^"  He 's  very  ill,  sir,"  said  Ted,  shaking  his  head. 
[  102] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

"  111  ?  "  gasped  the  startled  skipper.  "  Here,  take 
the  wheel  a  minute." 

He  handed  it  over,  and  grasping  his  skirts  went 
hastily  below.  The  mate  was  half  lying,  half  sitting, 
in  his  bunk,  groaning  dismally. 

"  What 's  the  matter  ?  "  inquired  the  skipper. 

"  I  'm  dying,"  said  the  mate.  "  I  keep  being 
tied  up  all  in  knots  inside.  I  can't  hold  myself 
straight." 

The  other  cleared  his  throat.  "  You  'd  better  take 
off  your  clothes  and  lie  down  a  bit,"  he  said  kindly. 
"  Let  me  help  you  off  with  them." 

"  No  —  don't  —  trouble,"  panted  the  mate. 

"  It  ain't  no  trouble,"  said  the  skipper,  in  a  trem- 
bling voice. 

"  No,  I  '11  keep  'em  on,"  said  the  mate  faintly. 
"  I  've  always  had  an  idea  I  'd  like  to  die  in  my 
clothes.  It  may  be  foolish,  but  I  can't  help  it." 

"  You  '11  have  your  wish  some  day,  never  fear, 
you  infernal  rascal,"  shouted  the  overwrought 
skipper.  "  You  're  shamming  sickness  to  make  me 
take  the  ship  into  port." 

"Why  shouldn't  you  take  her  in?"  asked  the 
mate,  with  an  air  of  innocent  surprise.  "  It 's  your 
duty  as  cap'n.  You  'd  better  get  above  now.  The 
bar  is  always  shifting." 

The  skipper,  restraining  himself  by  a  mighty  ef- 
fort, went  on  deck  again,  and,  taking  the  wheel, 
addressed  the  crew.  He  spoke  feelingly  of  the  obe- 
dience men  owed  their  superior  officers,  and  the 
moral  obligation  they  were  under  to  lend  them  their 
trousers  when  they  required  them.  He  dwelt  on  the 
awful  punishments  awarded  for  mutiny,  and  proved 


MANY    CARGOES 

clearly,  that  to  allow  the  master  of  a  ship  to  enter 
port  in  petticoats  was  mutiny  of  the  worst  type.  He 
then  sent  them  below  for  their  clothing.  They  were 
gone  such  a  long  time  that  it  was  palpable  to  the 
meanest  intellect  that  they  did  not  intend  to  bring  it. 
Meantime  the  harbour  widened  out  before  him. 

There  were  two  or  three  people  on  the  quay  as  the 
Sarah  Jane  came  within  hailing  distance.  By  the 
time  she  had  passed  the  lantern  at  the  end  of  it  there 
were  two  or  three  dozen,  and  the  numbers  were 
steadily  increasing  at  the  rate  of  three  persons  for 
every  five  yards  she  made.  Kind-hearted,  humane 
men,  anxious  that  their  friends  should  not  lose  so 
great  and  cheap  a  treat,  bribed  small  and  reluctant 
boys  with  pennies  to  go  in  search  of  them,  and  by 
the  time  the  schooner  reached  her  berth,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  population  of  the  port  was  looking 
over  each  other's  shoulders  and  shouting  foolish  and 
hilarious  inquiries  to  the  skipper.  The  news  reached 
the  owner,  and  he  came  hurrying  down  to  the  ship, 
just  as  the  skipper,  regardless  of  the  heated  remon- 
strances of  the  sightseers,  was  preparing  to  go 
below. 

Mr.  Pearson  was  a  stout  man,  and  he  came  down 
exploding  with  wrath.  Then  he  saw  the  apparition, 
and  mirth  overcame  him.  It  became  necessary  for 
three  stout  fellows  to  act  as  buttresses,  and  the  more 
indignant  the  skipper  looked  the  harder  their  work 
became.  Finally  he  was  assisted,  in  a  weak  state, 
and  laughing  hysterically,  to  the  deck  of  the 
schooner,  where  he  followed  the  skipper  below,  and 
in  a  voice  broken  with  emotion  demanded  an 
explanation. 

[104] 


IN    BORROWED    PLUMES 

"It 's  the  finest  sight  I  ever  saw  in  my  life,  Bross," 
he  said  when  the  other  had  finished.  "  I  would  n't 
have  missed  it  for  anything.  I  've  been  feeling  very 
low  this  last  week,  and  it 's  done  me  good.  Don't 
talk  nonsense  about  leaving  the  ship.  I  would  n't 
lose  you  for  anything  after  this,  but  if  you  like  to 
ship  a  fresh  mate  and  crew  you  can  please  yourself. 
If  you  '11  only  come  up  to  the  house  and  let  Mrs. 
Pearson  see  you  —  she  's  been  ailing  —  I  '11  give 
you  a  couple  of  pounds.  Now,  get  your  bonnet  and 
come." 


[105] 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

CAPTAIN  POLSON  sat  in  his  comfortable 
parlour  smiling  benignly  upon  his  daughter 
and  sister.     His  ship,  after  an  absence  of 
eighteen  months,  was  once  more  berthed  in  the  small 
harbour  of  Barborough,  and  the  captain  was  sitting 
in  that  state  of  good-natured  affability  which  invari- 
ably characterised  his  first  appearance  after  a  long 
absence. 

"  No  news  this  end,  I  suppose,"  he  inquired,  after 
a  lengthy  recital  of  most  extraordinarily  uninterest- 
ing adventures. 

"  Not  much,"  said  his  sister  Jane,  looking  ner- 
vously at  her  niece.  "  Young  Metcalfe  has  gone 
into  partnership  with  his  father." 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  about  those  sharks,"  said 
the  captain,  waxing  red.  "  Tell  me  about  honest 
men." 

"  Joe  Lewis  has  had  a  month's  imprisonment  for 
stealing  fowls,"  said  Miss  Poison  meekly.  "  Mrs. 
Purton  has  had  twins  —  dear  little  fellows  they  are, 
fat  as  butter !  —  she  has  named  one  of  them  Poison, 
after  you.  The  greedy  one." 

"Any  deaths?"  inquired  the  captain  snappishly, 
as  he  eyed  the  innocent  lady  suspiciously. 
[ft*] 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

1 
"  Poor  old  Jasper  Wheeler  has  gone,"  said  his 

sister ;  "  he  was  very  resigned.  He  borrowed 
enough  money  to  get  a  big  doctor  from  London, 
and  when  he  heard  that  there  was  no  hope  for  him 
he  said  he  was  just  longing  to  go,  and  he  was  sorry 
he  could  n't  take  all  his  dear  ones  with  him.  Mary 
Hewson  is  married  to  Jack  Draper,  and  young  Met- 
calfe's  banns  go  up  for  the  third  time  next  Sunday." 

"  I  hope  he  gets  a  Tartar,"  said  the  vindictive  cap- 
tain. "  Who  's  the  girl  ?  Some  silly  little  fool,  I 
know.  She  ought  to  be  warned !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  in  interfering  in  marriages,"  said 
his  daughter  Chrissie,  shaking  her  head  sagely. 

"  Oh !  "  said  the  captain,  staring,  "  you  don't ! 
Now  you  've  put  your  hair  up  and  taken  to  wearing 
long  frocks,  I  suppose  you  're  beginning  to  think 
of  it."  1 

"  Yes ;  auntie  wants  to  tell  you  something!  "  said 
his  daughter,  rising  and  crossing  the  room. 

"  No,  I  don't ! "  said  Miss  Poison  hastily. 

"  You  'd  better  do  it,"  said  Chrissie,  giving  her  a 
little  push,  "  there  's  a  dear ;  I  '11  go  upstairs  and 
lock  myself  in  my  room." 

The  face  of  the  captain,  whilst  this  conversation 
was  passing,  was  a  study  in  suppressed  emotions. 
He  was  a  firm  advocate  for  importing  the  manners 
of  the  quarter-deck  into  private  life,  the  only  draw- 
back being  that  he  had  to  leave  behind  him  the  lan- 
guage usual  in  that  locality.  To  this  omission  he 
usually  ascribed  his  failures. 

"  Sit  down,  Chrissie,"  he  commanded ;  "  sit  down, 
Jane.  Now,  miss,  what 's  all  this  about?  " 

"  I  don't  like  to  tell  you,"  said  Chrissie,  folding 


MANY    CARGOES 

her  hands  in  her  lap.  "  I  know  you  '11  be  cross. 
You  're  so  unreasonable." 

The  captain  stared  —  frightfully. 

"  I  'm  going  to  be  married,"  said  Chrissie  sud- 
denly, —  "  there !  To  Jack  Metcalfe  —  there !  So 
you  '11  have  to  learn  to  love  him.  He  's  going  to  try 
and  love  you  for  my  sake."  To  his  sister's  dismay 
the  captain  got  up,  and  brandishing  his  fists  walked 
violently  to  and  fro.  By  these  simple  but  unusual 
means  decorum  was  preserved. 

"  If  you  were  only  a  boy,"  said  the  captain,  when 
he  had  regained  his  seat,  "  I  should  know  what  to  do 
with  you." 

"  If  I  were  a  boy,"  said  Chrissie,  who,  having 
braced  herself  up  for  the  fray,  meant  to  go  through 
with  it,  "  I  should  n't  want  to  marry  Jack.  Don't 
be  silly,  father !  " 

"Jane,"  said  the  captain,  in  a  voice  which  made 
the  lady  addressed  start  in  her  chair,  "  what  clo  you 
mean  by  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  n't  my  fault,"  said  Miss  Poison  feebly.  "  I 
told  her  how  it  would  be.  And  it  was  so  gradual; 
he  admired  my  geraniums  at  first,  and,  of  course,  I 
was  deceived.  There  are  so  many  people  admire  my 
geraniums;  whether  it  is  because  the  window  has 
a  south  aspect " 

"  Oh !  "  said  the  captain  rudely,  "  that  '11  do,  Jane. 
If  he  was  n't  a  lawyer,  I  'd  go  round  and  break  his 
neck.  Chrissie  is  only  nineteen,  and  she  '11  come  for 
a  year's  cruise  with  me.  Perhaps  the  sea  air  '11 
strengthen  her  head.  We  '11  see  who  's  master  in 
this  family." 

"  I  'm  sure  I  don't  want  to  be  master,"  said  his 
[108] 


ALmiJ  ;>., 

THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

3aughter,  taking  a  weapon  of  fine  cambric  out  of  her 
pocket,  and  getting  ready  for  action.  "  I  can't  help 
liking  people.  Auntie  likes  him  too,  don't  you, 
auntie?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Poison  bravely. 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  autocrat  promptly,  "  I  '11 
take  you  both  for  a  cruise." 

"  You  're  making  me  very  un  —  unhappy,"  said 
Chrissie,  burying  her  face  in  her  handkerchief. 

"  You  '11  be  more  unhappy  before  I  've  done  with 
you,"  said  the  captain  grimly.  "  And  while  I  think 
of  it,  I  '11  step  round  and  stop  those  banns." 

His  daughter  caught  him  by  the  arm  as  he  was 
passing,  and  laid  her  face  on  his  sleeve.  "  You  '11 
make  me  look  so  foolish,"  she  wailed. 

"  That  '11  make  it  easier  for  you  to  come  to  sea 
with  me,"  said  her  father.  "  Don't  cry  all  over  my 
sleeve.  I  'm  going  to  see  a  parson.  Run  upstairs 
and  play  with  your  dolls,  and  if  you  're  a  good  girl, 
I  '11  bring  you  in  some  sweets."  He  put  on  his  hat, 
and  closing  the  front  door  with  a  bang,  went  off  to 
the  new  rector  to  knock  two  years  off  the  age  which 
his  daughter  kept  for  purposes  of  matrimony.  The 
rector,  grieved  at  such  duplicity  in  one  so  young, 
met  him  more  than  half  way,  and  he  came  out  from 
him  smiling  placidly,  until  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  young  man  on  the  other  side  of 
the  road,  who  was  regarding  him  with  manifest 
awkwardness. 

"  Good  evening,  Captain  Poison,"  he  said,  cross- 
ing the  road. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  captain,  stopping,  "  I  wanted  to 
speak  to  you.  I  suppose  you  wanted  to  marry  my 
[  109] 


MANY    CARGOES 

daughter  while  I  was  out  of  the  way,  to  save  trouble. 
Just  the  manly  thing  I  should  have  expected  of  you. 
J  've  stopped  the  banns,  and  I  'm  going  to  take  her 
for  a  voyage  with  me.  You  '11  have  to  look  else- 
where, my  lad." 

"  The  ill  feeling  is  all  on  your  side,  captain,"  said 
Metcalfe,  reddening. 

"  111  feeling!  "  snorted  the  captain.  "  You  put  me 
in  the  witness-box,  and  made  me  a  laughing-stock 
in  the  place  with  your  silly  attempts  at  jokes,  lost 
me  five  hundred  pounds,  and  then  try  and  marry 
my  daughter  while  I  'm  at  sea.  Ill  feeling  be 
hanged !  " 

"  That  was  business,"  said  the  other. 

"  It  was,"  said  the  captain,  "  and  this  is  business 
too.  Mine.  I  '11  look  after  it,  I  '11  promise  you.  I 
think  I  know  who  '11  look  silly  this  time.  I  'd  sooner 
see  my  girl  in  heaven  than  married  to  a  rascal  of  a 
lawyer." 

"  You  'd  want  good  glasses,"  retorted  Metcalfe, 
who  was  becoming  ruffled. 

"  I  don't  want  to  bandy  words  with  you,"  said  the 
captain  with  dignity,  after  a  long  pause,  devoted  to 
thinking  of  something  worth  bandying.  "  You 
think  you  're  a  clever  fellow,  but  I  know  a  cleverer. 
You  're  quite  welcome  to  marry  my  daughter  —  if 
you  can." 

He  turned  on  his  heel,  and  refusing  to  listen  to 
any  further  remarks,  went  on  his  way  rejoicing. 
Arrived  home,  he  lit  his  pipe,  and  throwing  himself 
into  an  armchair,  related  his  exploits.  Chrissie  had 
recourse  to  her  handkerchief  again,  more  for  effect 
than  use,  but  Miss  Poison,  who  was  a  tender  soul, 
[no] 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

took  hers  out  and  wept  unrestrainedly.  At  first  the 
captain  took  it  well  enough.  It  was  a  tribute  to  his 
power,  but  when  they  took  to  sobbing  one  against 
the  other,  his  temper  rose,  and  he  sternly  com- 
manded silence. 

"  I  shall  be  like  —  this  —  every  day  at  sea," 
sobbed  Chrissie  vindictively,  "  only  worse ;  making 
us  all  ridiculous." 

"Stop  that  noise  directly !  "vociferated  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  We  c-c-can't,"  sobbed  Miss  Poison. 

"  And  we  d-don't  want  to,"  said  Chrissie.  "  It 's 
all  we  can  do,  and  we  're  going  to  do  it.  You  'd 
better  g-go  out  and  stop  something  else.  You  can't 
stop  us." 

The  captain  took  the  advice  and  went,  and  in  the 
billiard-room  of  the  "  George "  heard  some  news 
which  set  him  thinking,  and  which  brought  him 
back  somewhat  earlier  than  he  had  at  first  intended. 
A  small  group  at  his  gate  broke  up  into  its  elements 
at  his  approach,  and  the  captain,  following  his  sister 
and  daughter  into  the  room,  sat  down  and  eyed  them 
severely. 

"  So  you  're  going  to  run  off  to  London  to  get 
married,  are  you,  miss  ? "  he  said  ferociously. 
"  Well,  we  '11  see.  You  don't  go  out  of  my  sight 
until  we  sail,  and  if  I  catch  that  pettifogging  lawyer 
round  at  my  gate  again,  I  '11  break  every  bone  in  his 
body,  mind  that." 

For   the   next   three   days   the   captain   kept   his 

daughter  under  observation,  and  never  allowed  her 

to  stir  abroad  except  in  his  company.     The  evening 

of  the  third  day,  to  his  own  great  surprise,  he  spent 

[in] 


MANY    CARGOES 

at  a  Dorcas.  The  company  was  not  congenial,  sev- 
eral of  the  ladies  putting  their  work  away,  and 
glaring  frigidly  at  the  intruder;  and  though  they 
could  see  clearly  that  he  was  suffering  greatly,  made 
no  attempt  to  put  him  at  his  ease.  He  was  very 
thoughtful  all  the  way  home,  and  the  next  day  took 
a  partner  into  the  concern,  in  the  shape  of  his 
boatswain. 

"  You  understand,  Tucker,"  he  concluded,  as  the 
hapless  seaman  stood  in  a  cringing  attitude  before 
Chrissie,  "  that  you  never  let  my  daughter  out  of 
your  sight.  When  she  goes  out  you  go  with  her." 

"  Yessir,"  said  Tucker ;  "  and  suppose  she  tells 
me  to  go  home,  what  am  I  to  do  then?  " 

"  You  're  a  fool,"  said  the  captain  sharply.  "  It 
does  n't  matter  what  she  says  or  does ;  unless  you 
are  in  the  same  room,  you  are  never  to  be  more  than 
three  yards  from  her." 

"  Make  it  four,  cap'n,"  said  the  boatswain,  in  a 
broken  voice. 

"  Three,"  said  the  captain ;  "  and  mind,  she  's 
artful.  All  girls  are,  and  she  '11  try  and  give  you  the 
slip.  I  've  had  information  given  me  as  to  what 's 
going  on.  Whatever  happens,  you  are  not  to  leave 
her." 

"  I  wish  you  'd  get  somebody  else,  sir,"  said 
Tucker,  very  respectfully.  "  There  's  a  lot  of  chaps 
aboard  that  'd  like  the  job." 

"  You  're  the  only  man  I  can  trust,"  said  the  cap- 
tain shortly.  "  When  I  give  you  orders  I  know 
they  '11  be  obeyed ;  it 's  your  watch  now." 

He  went  out  humming.  Chrissie  took  up  a  book 
and  sat  down,  utterly  ignoring  the  woebegone  figure 

I  "2] 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

which  stood  the  regulation  three  yards  from  her, 
twisting  its  cap  in  its  hands. 

"  I  hope,  miss,"  said  the  boatswain,  after  standing 
patiently  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  "  as  'ow  you 
won't  think  I  sought  arter  this  'ere  little  job." 

"  No,"  said  Chrissie,  without  looking  up. 

"  I  'm  just  obeying  orders,"  continued  the  boat- 
swain. "  I  always  git  let  in  for  these  'ere  little  jobs, 
somehow.  The  monkeys  I  've  had  to  look  arter 
aboard  ship  would  frighten  you.  There  never  was 
a  monkey  on  the  Monarch  but  what  I  was  in 
charge  of.  That 's  what  a  man  gets  through  being 
trustworthy." 

"  Just  so,"  said  Chrissie,  putting  down  her  book. 
"  Well,  I  'm  going  into  the  kitchen  now ;  come  along, 
nursie." 

"  'Ere,  I  say,  miss ! "  remonstrated  Tucker, 
flushing. 

"  I  don't  know  how  Susan  will  like  you  going  in 
her  kitchen,"  said  Chrissie  thoughtfully;  "how- 
ever, that 's  your  business." 

The  unfortunate  seaman  followed  his  fair  charge 
into  the  kitchen,  and,  leaning  against  the  door-post, 
doubled  up  like  a  limp  rag  before  the  terrible  glance 
of  its  mistress. 

"  Ho !  "  said  Susan,  who  took  the  state  of  affairs 
as  an  insult  to  the  sex  in  general ;  "  and  what  might 
you  be  wanting?  " 

**  Cap'n's  orders,"  murmured  Tucker  feebly. 

"  I  'm  captain  here,"  said  Susan,  confronting 
him  with  her  bare  arms  akimbo. 

"  And  credit  it  does  you,"  said  the  boatswain, 
looking  round  admiringly. 

8  ["3] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Is  it  your  wish,  Miss  Chrissie,  that  this  image 
comes  and  stalks  into  my  kitchen  as  if  the  place 
belongs  to  him  ? "  demanded  the  irate  Susan. 

"  I  did  n't  mean  to  come  in  in  that  way,"  said  the 
astonished  Tucker.  "  I  can't  help  being  big." 

"  I  don't  want  him  here,"  said  her  mistress ; 
"  what  do  you  think  I  want  him  for?  " 

"You  hear  that?"  said  Susan,  pointing  to  the 
door;  "now  go.  I  don't  want  people  to  say  that 
you  come  into  this  kitchen  after  me." 

"  I  'm  here  by  the  cap'n's  orders,"  said  Tucker 
faintly.  "  I  don't  want  to  be  here  —  far  from  it. 
As  for  people  saying  that  I  come  here  after  you, 
them  as  knows  me  would  laugh  at  the  idea." 

"  If  I  had  my  way,"  said  Susan,  in  a  hard  rasping 
voice,  "  I  'd  box  your  ears  for  you.  That 's  what 
I  'd  do  to  you,  and  you  can  go  and  tell  the  cap'n  I 
said  so.  Spy !  " 

This  was  the  first  verse  of  the  first  watch,  and 
there  were  many  verses.  To  add  to  his  discomfort 
he  was  confined  to  the  house,  as  his  charge  mani- 
fested no  desire  to  go  outside,  and  as  neither  she 
nor  her  aunt  cared  about  the  trouble  of  bringing  him 
to  a  fit  and  proper  state  of  subjection,  the  task  be- 
came a  labour  of  love  for  the  energetic  Susan.  In 
spite  of  everything,  however,  he  stuck  to  his  guns, 
and  the  indignant  Chrissie,  who  was  in  almost 
hourly  communication  with  Metcalfe  through  the 
medium  of  her  faithful  handmaiden,  was  rapidly 
becoming  desperate. 

On  the  fourth  day,  time  getting  short,  Chrissie 
went  on  a  new  tack  with  her  keeper,  and  Susan, 
sorely  against  her  will,  had  to  follow  suit.  Chrissie 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

smiled  at  him,  Susan  called  him  Mr.  Tucker,  and 
Miss  Poison  gave  him  a  glass  of  her  best  wine. 
From  the  position  of  an  outcast,  he  jumped  in  on« 
bound  to  that  of  confidential  adviser.  Miss  Poison 
told  him  many  items  of  family  interest,  and  later  on 
in  the  afternoon  actually  consulted  him  as  to  a  bad 
cold  which  Chrissie  had  developed. 

He  prescribed  half-a-pint  of  linseed  oil  hot,  but 
Miss  Poison  favoured  chlorodyne.  The  conversa- 
tion then  turned  on  the  deadly  qualities  of  that  drug 
when  taken  in  excess,  of  the  fatal  sleep  in  which  it 
lulled  its  victims.  So  disastrous  were  the  incidents 
cited,  that  half  an  hour  later,  when,  her  aunt  and 
Susan  being  out,  Chrissie  took  a  small  bottle  of 
chlorodyne  from  the  mantel-piece,  the  boatswain 
implored  her  to  try  his  nastier  but  safer  remedy 
instead. 

"  Nonsense!  "  said  Chrissie,  "  I  'm  only  going  to 
take  twenty  drops  —  one  —  two  —  three  " 

The  drug  suddenly  poured  out  in  a  little  stream. 

"  I  should  think  that 's  about  it,"  said  Chrissie, 
holding  the  tumbler  up  to  the  light. 

"  It 's  about  five  hundred ! "  said  the  horrified 
Tucker.  "  Don't  take  that,  miss,  whatever  you  do; 
let  me  measure  it  for  you." 

The  girl  waved  him  away,  and,  before  he  could 
interfere,  drank  off  the  contents  of  the  glass  and 
resumed  her  seat.  The  boatswain  watched  her 
uneasily,  and  taking  up  the  phial  carefully  read 
through  the  directions.  After  that  he  was  not  at  all 
surprised  to  see  the  book  fall  from  his  charge's 
hand  on  to  the  floor,  and  her  eyes  close. 

"  I  knowed  it,"  said  Tucker,  in  a  profuse  perspi- 

[US] 


MANY    CARGOES 

ration,  "  I  knowed  it.  Them  blamed  gals  are  all 
alike.  Always  knows  what's  best.  Miss  Poison! 
Miss  Poison! " 

He  shook  her  roughly,  but  to  no  purpose,  and  then 
running  to  the  door,  shouted  eagerly  for  Susan.  No 
reply  forthcoming  he  ran  to  the  window,  but  there 
was  nobody  in  sight,  and  he  came  back  and  stood 
in  front  of  the  girl,  wringing  his  huge  hands  help- 
lessly. It  was  a  great  question  for  a  poor  sailor- 
man.  If  he  went  for  the  doctor  he  deserted  his  post ; 
if  he  did  n't  go  his  charge  might  die.  He  made  one 
more  attempt  to  awaken  her,  and,  seizing  a  flower- 
glass,  splashed  her  freely  with  cold  water.  She  did 
not  even  wince. 

"  It 's  no  use  fooling  with  it,"  murmured  Tucker ; 
"  I  must  get  the  doctor,  that 's  all." 

He  quitted  the  room,  and,  dashing  hastily  down- 
stairs, had  already  opened  the  hall  door  when  a 
thought  struck  him,  and  he  came  back  again. 
Chrissie  was  still  asleep  in  the  chair,  and,  with  a 
smile  at  the  clever  way  in  which  he  had  solved  a 
difficulty,  he  stooped  down,  and,  raising  her  in  his 
strong  arms,  bore  her  from  the  room  and  down- 
stairs. Then  a  hitch  occurred.  The  triumphant 
progress  was  marred  by  the  behaviour  of  the  hall 
door,  which,  despite  his  efforts,  refused  to  be  opened, 
and,  encumbered  by  his  fair  burden,  he  could  not  for 
some  time  ascertain  the  reason.  Then,  full  of  shame 
that  so  much  deceit  could  exist  in  so  fair  and  frail 
a  habitation,  he  discovered  that  Miss  Poison's  foot 
was  pressing  firmly  against  it.  Her  eyes  were  still 
closed  and  her  head  heavy,  but  the  fact  remained 
that  one  foot  was  acting  in  a  manner  that  was  full 
JU6] 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

of  intelligence  and  guile,  and  when  he  took  it  away 
from  the  door  the  other  one  took  its  place.  By  a 
sudden  manoeuvre  the  wily  Tucker  turned  his  back 
on  the  door,  and  opened  it,  and,  at  the  same  moment, 
a  hand  came  to  life  again  and  dealt  him  a  stinging 
slap  on  the  face. 

"  Idiot !  "  said  the  indignant  Chrissie,  slipping 
from  his  arms  and  confronting  him.  "  How  dare 
you  take  such  a  liberty  ?  " 

The  astonished  boatswain  felt  his  face,  and  re- 
garded her  open-mouthed. 

"  Don't  you  ever  dare  to  speak  to  me  again,"  said 
the  offended  maiden,  drawing  herself  up  with  irre- 
proachable dignity.  "  I  am  disgusted  with  your 
conduct.  Most  unbearable !  " 

"  I  was  carrying  you  off  to  the  doctor,"  said  the 
boatswain.  "  How  was  I  to  know  you  was  only 
shamming?  " 

"  Shamming?  "  said  Chrissie,  in  tones  of  incred- 
ulous horror.  "  I  was  asleep.  I  often  go  to  sleep 
in  the  afternoon." 

The  boatswain  made  no  reply,  except  to  grin  with 
great  intelligence  as  he  followed  his  charge  upstairs 
again.  He  grinned  at  intervals  until  the  return  of 
Susan  and  Miss  Poison,  who,  trying  to  look  uncon- 
cerned, came  in  later  on,  both  apparently  suffering 
from  temper,  Susan  especially.  Amid  the  sympa- 
thetic interruptions  of  these  listeners  Chrissie  re- 
counted her  experiences,  while  the  boatswain,  despite 
his  better  sense,  felt  like  the  greatest  scoundrel 
unhung,  a  feeling  which  was  fostered  by  the 
remarks  of  Susan  and  the  chilling  regards  of  Miss 
Poison. 

[117] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  shall  inform  the  captain/'  said  Miss  Poison, 
bridling.  "  It 's  my  duty." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  tell  him,"  said  Chrissie.  "  I  shall  tell 
him  the  moment  he  comes  in  at  the  door." 

"  So  shall  I,"  said  Susan ;  "  the  idea  of  taking 
such  liberties ! " 

Having  fired  this  broadside,  the  trio  watched  the 
enemy  narrowly  and  anxiously. 

"  If  I  've  done  anything  wrong,  ladies,"  said  the 
unhappy  boatswain,  "  I  am  sorry  for  it.  I  can't  say 
anything  fairer  than  that,  and  I  '11  tell  the  cap'n 
myself  exactly  how  I  came  to  do  it  when  he  comes 
in." 

"Pah!   tell-tale!"  said  Susan. 

"  Of  course,  if  you  are  here  to  fetch  and  carry," 
said  Miss  Poison,  with  withering  emphasis. 

"  The  idea  of  a  grown  man  telling  tales,"  said1 
Chrissie  scornfully.  "  Baby !  " 

"  Why,  just  now  you  were  all  going  to  tell  him 
yourselves,"  said  the  bewildered  boatswain. 

The  two  elder  women  rose  and  regarded  him 
with  looks  of  pitying  disdain.  Miss  Poison's  glance 
said  "  Fool !  "  plainly ;  Susan,  a  simple  child  of 
nature,  given  to  expressing  her  mind  freely,  said 
"  Blockhead !  "  with  conviction. 

"  I  see  'ow  it  is,"  said  the  boatswain,  after  rumin- 
ating deeply.  "  Well,  I  won't  split,  ladies.  I  can 
see  now  you  was  all  in  it,  and  it  was  a  little  job 
to  get  me  out  of  the  house." 

"  What  a  head  he  has  got,"  said  the  irritated 
Susan ;  "  is  n't  it  wonderful  how  he  thinks  of  it  all ! 
Nobody  would  think  he  was  so  clever  to  look  at 
him." 

[118] 


"  Still  waters  run  deep/'  said  the  boatswain,  who 
was  beginning  to  have  a  high  opinion  of  himself. 

"And  pride  goes  before  a  fall,"  said  Chrissie; 
"  remember  that,  Mr.  Tucker." 

Mr.  Tucker  grinned,  but,  remembering  the  fable 
of  the  pitcher  and  the  well,  pressed  his  superior 
officer  that  evening  to  relieve  him  from  his  duties. 
He  stated  that  the  strain  was  slowly  undermining 
a  constitution  which  was  not  so  strong  as  appear- 
ances would  warrant,  and  that  his  knowledge  of 
female  nature  was  lamentably  deficient  on  many 
important  points. 

"  You  're  doing  very  well,"  said  the  captain,  who 
had  no  intention  of  attending  any  more  Dorcases, 
"  very  well  indeed ;  I  am  proud  of  you." 

"  It  is  n't  a  man's  work,"  objected  the  boatswain. 
"  Besides,  if  anything  happens  you  '11  blame  me 
for  it." 

"  Nothing  can  happen,"  declared  the  captain  con- 
fidently. "  We  shall  make  a  start  in  about  four 
days  now.  You  're  the  only  man  I  can  trust  with 
such  a  difficult  job,  Tucker,  and  I  shan't  forget  you." 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  other  dejectedly.  "I  obey 
orders,  then." 

The  next  day  passed  quietly,  the  members  of  the 
household  making  a  great  fuss  of  Tucker,  and 
thereby  filling  him  with  forebodings  of  the  worst 
possible  nature.  On  the  day  after,  when  the  cap- 
tain, having  business  at  a  neighbouring  town,  left 
him  in  sole  charge,  his  uneasiness  could  not  be 
concealed. 

"  I  'm  going  for  a  walk,"  said  Chrissie,  as  be 
sat  by  himself,  working  out  dangerous  moves  and 


MANY    CARGOES 

the  best  means  of  checking  them ;  "  would  you  care 
to  come  with  me,  Tucker?" 

"  I  wish  you  would  n't  put  it  that  way,  miss," 
said  the  boatswain,  as  he  reached  for  his  hat. 

"I  want  exercise,"  said  Chrissie;  "I've  been 
cooped  up  long  enough." 

She  set  off  at  a  good  pace  up  the  High  Street, 
attended  by  her  faithful  follower,  and  passing 
through  the  small  suburbs,  struck  out  into  the  coun- 
try beyond.  After  four  miles  the  boatswain,  who 
was  no  walker,  reminded  her  that  they  had  got  to 
go  back. 

"  Plenty  of  time,"  said  Chrissie,  "  we  have  got 
the  day  before  us.  Is  n't  it  glorious  ?  Do  you  see 
that  milestone,  Tucker?  I  '11  race  you  to  it;  come 
along." 

She  was  off  on  the  instant,  with  the  boatswain, 
who  suspected  treachery,  after  her. 

"  You  can  run,"  she  panted,  thoughtfully,  as  she 
came  in  second ;  "  we  '11  have  another  one  pres- 
ently. You  don't  know  how  good  it  is  for  you, 
Tucker." 

The  boatswain  grinned  sourly  and  looked  at  her 
from  the  corner  of  his  eye.  The  next  three  miles 
passed  like  a  horrible  nightmare ;  his  charge  making 
a  race  for  every  milestone,  in  which  the  labouring 
boatswain,  despite  his  want  of  practice,  came  in  the 
winner.  The  fourth  ended  disastrously,  Chrissie 
limping  the  last  ten  yards,  and  seating  herself  with 
a  very  woebegone  face  on  the  stone  itself. 

"  You  did  very  well,  miss,"  said  the  boatswain, 
who  thought  he  could  afford  to  be  generous.    "  You 
Heed  n't  be  offended  about  it." 
.[120] 


THE    BOATSWAIN'S    WATCH 

"  It 's  my  ankle,"  said  Chrissie  with  a  little  whim- 
per. "  Oh !  I  twisted  it  right  round." 

The  boatswain  stood  regarding  her  in  silent 
consternation. 

"  It 's  no  use  looking  like  that,"  said  Chrissie 
sharply,  "  you  great  clumsy  thing.  If  you  had  n't 
have  run  so  hard  it  would  n't  have  happened.  It 's 
all  your  fault." 

"  If  you  don't  mind  leaning  on  me  a  bit,"  said 
Tucker,  "  we  might  get  along." 

Chrissie  took  his  arm  petulantly,  and  they  started 
on  their  return  journey,  at  the  rate  of  about  four 
hours  a  mile,  with  little  cries  and  gasps  at  every 
other  yard. 

"  It 's  no  use,"  said  Chrissie  as  she  relinquished 
his  arm,  and,  limping  to  the  side  of  the  road,  sat 
down.  The  boatswain  pricked  up  his  ears  hope- 
fully at  the  sound  of  approaching  wheels. 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  the  young  lady  ?  "  in- 
quired a  groom  who  was  driving  a  little  trap,  as 
he  pulled  up  and  regarded  with  interest  a  grimace 
of  extraordinary  intensity  on  the  young  lady's  face. 

"  Broke  her  ankle,  I  think,"  said  the  boatswain 
glibly.  "Which  way  are  you  going?" 

"  Well,  I  'm  going  to  Barborough,"  said  the 
groom ;  "  but  my  guvnor  's  rather  pertickler." 

"  I  '11  make  it  all  right  with  you,"  said  the 
boatswain. 

The  groom  hesitated  a  minute,  and  then  made 
way  for  Chrissie  as  the  boatswain  assisted  her  to 
get  up  beside  him;  then  Tucker,  with  a  grin  of 
satisfaction  at  getting  a  seat  once  more,  clambered 
up  behind,  and  they  started. 

[121] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Have  a  rug,  mate,"  said  the  groom,  handing  the 
reins  to  Chrissie  and  passing  it  over ;  "  put  it  round 
your  knees  and  tuck  the  ends  under  you." 

"  Ay,  ay,  mate,"  said  the  boatswain  as  he  obeyed 
the  instructions. 

"  Are  you  sure  you  are  quite  comfortable?  "  said 
the  groom  affectionately.  v 

"  Quite,"  said  the  other. 

The  groom  said  no  more,  but  in  a  quiet  business- 
like fashion  placed  his  hands  on  the  seaman's  broad 
back,  and  shot  him  out  into  the  road.  Then  he 
snatched  up  the  reins  and  drove  off  at  a  gallop. 

Without  the  faintest  hope  of  winning,  Mr.  Tucker, 
who  realised  clearly,  appearances  notwithstanding, 
that  he  had  fallen  into  a  trap,  rose  after  a  hurried 
rest  and  started  on  his  fifth  race  that  morning.  The 
prize  was  only  a  second-rate  groom  with  plated  but- 
tons, who  was  waving  cheery  farewells  to  him  with 
a  dingy  top  hat;  but  the  boatswain  would  have 
sooner  had  it  than  a  silver  tea-service. 

He  ran  as  he  had  never  run  before  in  his  life, 
but  all  to  no  purpose,  the  trap  stopping  calmly  a 
little  further  on  to  take  up  another  passenger,  in 
whose  favour  the  groom  retired  to  the  back  seat; 
then,  with  a  final  wave  of  the  hand  to  him,  they 
took  a  road  to  the  left  and  drove  rapidly  out  of 
sight.  The  boatswain's  watch  was  over. 


t  122  ] 


LOW   WATER 

IT  was  a  calm,  clear  evening  in  late  summer  as 
the  Elisabeth  Ann,  of  Pembray,  scorning  the 
expensive  aid  of  a  tug,  threaded  her  way  down 
the  London  river  under  canvas.  The  crew  were 
busy  forward,  and  the  master  and  part-owner  —  a 
fussy  little  man,  deeply  imbued  with  a  sense  of  his 
own  importance  and  cleverness  —  was  at  the  wheel 
chatting  with  the  mate.  While  waiting  for  a  por- 
tion of  his  cargo,  he  had  passed  the  previous  week 
pleasantly  enough  with  some  relatives  in  Exeter, 
and  was  now  in  a  masterful  fashion  receiving  a  re- 
port from  the  mate. 

"  There  's  one  other  thing,"  said  the  mate.  "  I 
dessay  you  've  noticed  how  sober  old  Dick  is  to- 
night." ' 

"  I  kept  him  short  o'  purpose,"  said  the  skipper, 
with  a  satisfied  air. 

"T  ain't  that,"  said  the  mate.  "You'll  be 
pleased  to  hear  that  'im  an'  Sam  has  been  talked 
over  by  the  other  two,  and  that  all  your  crew  now, 
'cept  the  cook,  who 's  still  Roman  Catholic,  has 
j'ined  the  Salvation  Army." 

"  Salvation  Army !  "  repeated  the  skipper  in  dazed 
tones.  "  I  don't  want  none  o'  your  gammon,  Bob." 
[  123  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  It 's  quite  right,"  said  the  other.  "  You  can 
take  it  from  me.  How  it  was  done  I  don't  know, 
but  what  I  do  know  is,  none  of  'em  has  touched 
licker  for  five  days.  They  've  all  got  red  jerseys, 
an'  I  hear  as  old  Dick  preaches  a  hexcellent  sermon. 
He  's  red-hot  on  it,  and  t'  others  follow  'im  like 
sheep." 

"  The  drink  's  got  to  his  brain,"  said  the  skipper 
sagely,  after  due  reflection.  "  Well,  I  don't  mind, 
so  long  as  they  behave  theirselves." 

He  kept  silence  until  Woolwich  was  passed,  and 
they  were  running  along  with  all  sails  set,  and 
then,  his  curiosity  being  somewhat  excited,  he  called 
old  Dick  to  him,  with  the  amiable  intention  of  a 
little  banter. 

"  What 's  this  I  hear  about  you  j'ining  the  Sal- 
vation Army?"  he  asked. 

"  It 's  quite  true,  sir,"  said  Dick.  "  I  feel  so 
happy,  you  can't  think  —  we  all  do." 

"  Glory!  "  said  one  of  the  other  men,  with  enthu- 
siastic corroboration. 

"  Seems  like  the  measles,"  said  the  skipper  face- 
tiously. "  Four  of  you  down  with  it  at  one  time!  " 

"  It  is  like  the  measles,  sir,"  said  the  old  man 
impressively,  "an'  I  only  hope  as  you  '11  catch  it 
yourself,  bad." 

"  Hallelujah ! "  bawled  the  other  man  suddenly. 
"  He  '11  catch  it." 

"  Hold  that  noise,  you,  Joe!  "  shouted  the  skipper 
sternly.  "  How  dare  you  make  that  noise  aboard 
ship?" 

"  He  's  excited,  sir,"  said  Dick.  "  It 's  love  for 
you  in  'is  'eart  as  does  it." 

[124] 


"  Let  him  keep  his  love  to  hisself,"  said  the  skipper 
churlishly. 

"  Ah!  that's  just  what  we  can't  do,"  said  Dick 
in  high-pitched  tones,  which  the  skipper  rightly 
concluded  to  be  his  preaching  voice.  "  We  can't  do 
it  —  an'  why  can't  we  do  it?  Becos  we  feel  good, 
an'  we  want  you  to  feel  good  too.  We  want  to  share 
it  with  you.  Oh,  dear  friend  " 

"  That 's  enough,"  said  the  master  of  the  Elizabeth 
Ann,  sharply.  "  Don't  you  go  '  dear  friending  '  me. 
Go  for'ard!  Go  for'ard  at  once!  " 

With  a  melancholy  shake  of  his  head  the  old  man 
complied,  and  the  startled  skipper  turned  to  the  mate, 
who  was  at  the  wheel,  and  expressed  his  firm  inten- 
tion of  at  once  stopping  such  behaviour  on  his  ship. 

"  You  can't  do  it,"  said  the  mate  firmly. 

"  Can't  do  it  ?  "  queried  the  skipper. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  the  other.  "  They  've  all 
got  it  bad,  an'  the  more  you  get  at  'em  the  wttss 
they  '11  be.  Mark  my  words,  best  let  'em  alone." 

"  I  '11  hold  my  hand  a  bit  and  watch  'em,"  was  the 
reply ;  "  but  I  've  always  been  cap'n  on  my  own 
ship,  and  I  always  will." 

For  the  next  twenty-four  hours  he  retained  his 
sovereignty  undisputed,  but  on  Sunday  morning, 
after  breakfast,  when  he  was  at  the  wheel,  and  the 
crew  below,  the  mate,  who  had  been  forward,  came 
aft  with  a  strange  grin  struggling  for  development 
at  the  corners  of  his  mouth. 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  the  skipper,  re- 
garding him  with  some  disfavour. 

"  They  're  all  down  below  with  their  red  jerseys 
on,"  replied  the  mate,  still  struggling,  "  and  they  're 


MANY    CARGOES 

holding  a  sort  o'  consultation  about  the  lost  lamb, 
an'  the  best  way  o'  reaching  'is  ?ard  'eart." 

"Lost  lamb!"  repeated  the  skipper  unconcern- 
edly, but  carefully  avoiding  the  other's  eye. 

"  You  're  the  lost  lamb/'  said  the  mate,  who 
always  went  straight  to  the  point. 

"  I  won't  have  it,"  said  the  skipper  excitably. 
"  How  dare  they  go  on  in  this  way  ?  Go  and  send 
'em  up  directly." 

The  mate,  whistling  cheerily,  complied,  and  the 
four  men,  neatly  attired  in  scarlet,  came  on  deck. 

"Now,  what's  all  this  nonsense  about?"  de- 
manded the  incensed  man.  "  What  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  We  want  your  pore  sinful  soul,"  said  Dick  with 
ecstasy. 

"Ay,  an'  we  '11  have  it,"  said  Joe,  with  deep  con- 
viction. 

"So  we  will,"  said  the  other  two,  closing  their 
eyes  and  smiling  rapturously ;  "  so  we  will." 

The  skipper,  alarmed,  despite  himself,  at  their  con- 
fidence, turned  a  startled  face  to  the  mate. 

"  If  you  could  see  it  now,"  continued  Dick  im- 
pressively, "  you  'd  be  frightened  at  it.  If  you 
could  " 

"  Get  to  your  own  end  of  the  ship,"  spluttered  the 
indignant  skipper.  "  Get,  before  I  kick  you  there !  " 

"  Better  let  Sam  have  a  try,"  said  one  of  the  other 
men,  calmly  ignoring  the  fury  of  the  master ;  "  his 
efforts  have  been  wonderfully  blessed.  Come  here, 
Sam." 

"  There  's  a  time  for  everythink,"  said  Sam  cau- 
tiously. "  Let 's  go  for'ard  and  do  what  we  can  for 
him  among  ourselves." 

[126! 


LOW    WATER 

They  moved  off  reluctantly,  Dick  throwing  sucfi 
affectionate  glances  at  the  skipper  over  his  shoulders 
that  he  nearly  choked  with  rage. 

"  I  won't  have  it !  "  he  said  fiercely ;  "  I  '11  knock 
it  out  of  'em." 

"  You  can't,"  said  the  mate.  "  You  can't  knock 
sailor  men  about  nowadays.  The  only  thing  you  can 
do  is  to  get  rid  of  'em." 

"  I  don't  want  to  do  that,"  was  the  growling 
reply.  "  They  've  been  with  me  a  long  time,  and 
they  're  all  good  men.  Why  don't  they  have  a  go 
at  you,  I  wonder  ?  " 

"  Me? "  said  the  mate,  in  indignant  surprise. 
"Why,  I'm  a  Seventh  Day  Baptist!  They  don't 
want  to  waste  their  time  over  me.  I  'm  all  right." 

"  You  're  a  pretty  Seventh  Day  Baptist,  you  are!  " 
replied  the  skipper.  "  Fust  I  've  heard  of  it." 

"  You  don't  understand  about  such  things,"  said 
the  mate. 

"  It  must  be  a  very  easy  religion,"  continued  the 
skipper. 

"  I  don't  make  a  show  of  it,  if  that 's  what  you 
mean,"  rejoined  the  other  warmly.  "  I  'm  one  o' 
them  as  believe  in  'iding  my  light  under  a  bushel." 

"  A  pint  pot  'ud  do  easy,"  sneered  the  skipper. 
"  It 's  more  in  your  line,  too." 

"  Anyway,  the  men  reckernise  it,"  said  the  mate 
loftily.  "  They  don't  go  an'  sit  in  their  red  jerseys 
an'  hold  mothers'  meetings  over  me." 

"  I  '11  knock  their  blessed  heads  off !  "  growled  the 
skipper.  "  I  '11  learn  'em  to  insult  me!  " 

"  It 's  all  for  your  own  good,"  said  the  other. 
"  They  mean  it  kindly.  Well,  I  wish  'em  luck." 


MANY    CARGOES 

With  these  hardy  words  he  retired,  leaving  a 
seething  volcano  to  pace  the  deck,  and  think  over 
ways  and  means  of  once  more  reducing  his  crew  to 
what  he  considered  a  fit  and  proper  state  of  obedience 
and  respect. 

The  climax  was  reached  at  tea-time,  when  an 
anonymous  hand  was  thrust  beneath  the  skylight, 
and  a  full-bodied  tract  fluttered  wildly  down  and 
upset  his  tea. 

"  That 's  the  last  straw !  "  he  roared,  fishing  out 
the  tract  and  throwing  it  on  the  floor.  "  I  '11  read 
them  chaps  a  lesson  they  won't  forget  in  a  hurry,  and 
put  a  little  money  in  my  pocket  at  the  same  time. 
I  've  got  a  little  plan  in  my  'ed  as  come  to  me  quite 
sudden  this  afternoon.  Come  on  deck,  Bob." 

Bob  obeyed,  grinning,  and  the  skipper,  taking  the 
wheel  from  Sam,  sent  him  for  the  others. 

*'  Did  you  ever  know  me  break  my  word,  Dick  ?  " 
he  inquired  abruptly,  as  they  shuffled  up. 

"  Never,"  said  Dick. 

"  Cap'n  Bowers'  word  is  better  than  another  man's 
oath,"  asseverated  Joe. 

"  Well,"  said  Captain  Bowers,  with  a  wink  at  the 
mate,  "  I  'm  going  to  give  you  chaps  a  little  self- 
denial  week  all  to  yourselves.  If  you  all  live  on 
biscuit  and  water  till  we  get  to  port,  and  don't 
touch  nothing  else,  I  '11  jine  you  and  become  a 
Salvationist/' 

"  Biscuit  and  water,"  said  Dick  doubtfully, 
scratching  a  beard  strong  enough  to  scratch  back. 

"  It  would  n't  be  right  to  play  with  our  constitoo- 
shuns  in  that  way,  sir,"  objected  Joe,  shaking  his 
head. 

1 128] 


LOW    WATER 

"  There  you  are,"  said  Bowers,  turning  to  the 
mate  with  a  wave  of  his  hand.  "  They  're  precious 
anxious  about  me  so  long  as  it 's  confined  to  jawing, 
and  dropping  tracts  into  my  tea,  but  when  it  comes 
to  a  little  hardship  on  their  part,  see  how  they  back 
out  of  it." 

"  We  ain't  backing  out  of  it,"  said  Dick  cau- 
tiously ;  "  but  s'pose  we  do,  how  are  we  to  be  certain 
as  you  '11  jine  us?  " 

"  You  've  got  my  word  for  it,"  said  the  other, 
"  an'  the  mate  an'  cook  witness  it." 

"  O'  course,  you  jine  the  Army  for  good,  sir," 
said  Dick,  still  doubtfully. 

"  O'  course." 

"Then  it's  a  bargain,  sir,"  said  Dick,  beaming; 
"ain't  it,  chaps?" 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  others,  but  not  beaming  quite 
so  much. 

"  Oh,  what  a  joyful  day  this  is ! "  said  the  old 
man.  "  A  Salvation  crew  an'  a  Salvation  cap'n ! 
We  '11  have  the  cook  next,  bad  as  he  is." 

"  You'll  have  biskit  an'  water,"  said  the  cook  icily, 
as  they  moved  off,  "  an'  nothing  else,  I  '11  take  care." 

"  They  must  be  uncommon  fond  o'  me,"  said  the 
skipper  meditatively. 

"  Uncommon  fond  o'  having  their  own  way," 
growled  the  mate.  "  Nice  thing  you  've  let  yourself 
in  for." 

"  I  know  what  I'm  about,"  was  the  confident  reply. 

"  You  ain't  going  to  let  them  idiots  fast  for  a 
week  an'  then  break  your  word?  "  said  the  mate  in 
surprise. 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  other  wrathfully;  "  I  'd 

9  1 129  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

sooner  jine  three  armies  than  do  that,  and  you 
know  it." 

"  They  '11  keep  to  the  grub,  don't  you  fear,"  said 
the  mate.  "  I  can't  understand  how  you  are  going 
to  manage  it." 

"  That 's  where  the  brains  come  in,"  retorted  the 
skipper,  somewhat  arrogantly. 

"  Fust  time  I  've  heard  of  'em,"  murmured  the 
mate  softly ;  "  but  I  s'pose  you  've  been  using  pint 
pots  too." 

The  skipper  glared  at  him  scornfully,  but,  being 
unprovided  with  a  retort,  forbore  to  reply,  and  going 
below  again  mixed  himself  a  stiff  glass  of  grog,  and 
drank  success  to  his  scheme. 

Three  days  passed,  and  the  men  stood  firm,  and, 
realising  that  they  were  slowly  undermining  the 
skipper's  convictions,  made  no  effort  to  carry  him  by 
direct  assault.  The  mate  made  no  attempt  to  con- 
ceal his  opinion  of  his  superior's  peril,  and  in  gloomy 
terms  strove  to  put  the  full  horror  of  his  position 
before  him. 

"  What  your  missis  '11  say  the  first  time  she  sees 
you  prancing  up  an'  down  the  road  tapping  a  tam- 
bourine, I  can't  think,"  said  he. 

"  I  shan't  have  no  tambourine,"  said  Captain 
Bowers  cheerfully. 

"  It  '11  also  be  your  painful  dooty  to  stand  outside 
your  father-in-law's  pub  and  try  and  persuade  cus- 
tomers not  to  go  in,"  continued  Bob.  "  Nice  thing 
that  for  a  quiet  family !  " 

The  skipper  smiled  knowingly,  and,  rolling  a  cigar 
in  his  mouth,  leaned  back  in  his  seat  and  cocked  his 
eye  at  the  skylight. 

[130] 


LOW    WATER 

"  Don't  you  worry,  my  lad,"  said  he;  "  don't  you 
worry.  I  'm  in  this  job,  an'  I  'm  coming  out  on  top. 
When  men  forget  what 's  due  to  their  betters,  and 
preach  to  'em,  they  've  got  to  be  taught  what 's  what. 
If  the  wind  keeps  fair  we  ought  to  be  home  by  Sun- 
day night  or  Monday  morning." 

The  other  nodded. 

"  Now,  you  keep  your  eyes  open,"  said  the  skip- 
per; and,  going  to  his  state-room,  he  returned  with 
three  bottles  of  rum  and  a  corkscrew,  all  of  which, 
with  an  air  of  great  mystery,  he  placed  on  the  table, 
and  then  smiled  at  the  mate.  The  mate  smiled  too. 

"What's  this?"  inquired  the  skipper,  drawing 
the  cork,  and  holding  a  bottle  under  the  other's  nose. 

"  It  smells  like  rum,"  said  the  mate,  glancing 
round,  possibly  for  a  glass. 

"  It 's  for  the  men,"  said  the  skipper,  "  but  you 
may  take  a  drop." 

The  mate,  taking  down  a  glass,  helped  himself 
liberally,  and,  having  made  sure  of  it,  sympatheti- 
cally, but  politely,  expressed  his  firm  opinion  that 
the  men  would  not  touch  it  under  any  conditions 
whatever. 

*  "  You  don't  quite  understand  how  firm  they  are," 
said  he ;  "  you  think  it 's  just  a  new  fad  with  'em, 
but  it  ain't." 

"  They  '11  drink  it,"  said  the  skipper,  taking  up 
two  of  the  bottles.  "  Bring  the  other  on  deck  for 
me." 

The  mate  complied,  wonderingly,  and,  laden  with 
prime  old  Jamaica,  ascended  the  steps. 

"What's  this?"  inquired  the  skipper,  crossing 
over  to  Dick,  and  holding  out  a  bottle. 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Pison,  sir/'  said  Dick  promptly. 

"  Have  a  drop,"  said  the  skipper  jovially. 

"  Not  for  twenty  pounds,"  said  the  old  man,  with 
a  look  of  horror. 

"  Not  for  two  million  pounds,"  said  Sam,  with 
financial  precision. 

"  Will  anybody  have  a  drop?"  asked  the  owner, 
waving  the  bottle  to  and  fro. 

As  he  spoke  a  grimy  paw  shot  out  from  behind 
him,  and,  before  he  quite  realised  the  situation,  the 
cook  had  accepted  the  invitation,  and  was  hurriedly 
making  the  most  of  it. 

"  Not  you,"  growled  the  skipper,  snatching  the 
bottle  from  him;  "  I  didn't  mean  you.  Well,  my 
lads,  if  you  won't  have  it  neat  you  shall  have  it 
watered." 

Before  anybody  could  guess  his  intention  he 
walked  to  the  water-cask,  and,  removing  the  cover, 
poured  in  the  rum.  In  the  midst  of  a  profound 
silence  he  emptied  the  three  bottles,  and  then,  with 
a  triumphant  smile,  turned  and  confronted  his  as- 
tonished crew. 

"  What 's  in  that  cask,  Dick?  "  he  asked  quietly. 

"Rum  and  water,"  groaned  Dick;  "but  that 
ain't  fair  play,  sir.  We  've  kep'  to  our  part  o'  the 
agreement,  sir,  an'  you  ought  to  ha'  kep'  to  yours." 

"  So  I  have,"  was  the  quick  reply ;  "  so  I  have, 
an'  I  still  keep  to  it.  Don't  you  see  this,  my  lads; 
when  you  start  playing  antics  with  me  you  're  play- 
ing a  fool's  game,  an'  you  're  bound  to  come  a  crop- 
per. Some  men  would  ha'  waited  longer  afore  they 
spiled  their  game,  but  I  think  you  've  suffered 
enough.  Now  there  's  a  lump  of  beef  and  some 

[  132] 


LOW    WATER 

iaters  on,  an'  you  'd  better  go  and  make  a  good 
square  meal,  an'  next  time  you  want  to  alter  the 
religion  of  people  as  knows  better  than  you  do,  think 
twice." 

"  We  don't  want  no  beef,  sir ;  biskit  '11  do  for  us," 
said  Dick  firmly. 

"  All  right,  please  yourselves,"  said  the  skipper ; 
"  but  mind,  no  hanky-panky,  no  coming  for  drink 
when  my  back's  turned;  this  cask '11  be  watched; 
but  if  you  do  alter  your  mind  about  the  beef  you  can 
tell  the  cook  to  get  it  for  you  any  time  you  like." 

He  threw  the  bottles  overboard,  and,  ignoring  the 
groaning  and  head-shaking  of  the  men,  walked  away, 
listening  with  avidity  to  the  respectful  tributes  to 
his  genius  tendered  by  the  mate  and  cook  —  flattery 
so  delicate  and  so  genuine  withal  that  he  opened 
another  bottle. 

"There  's  just  one  thing,"  said  the  mate  presently; 
"  won't  the  rum  affect  the  cooking  a  good  deal  ?  " 

"  I  never  thought  o'  that,"  admitted  the  skipper; 
"  still,  we  must  n't  expect  to  have  everything  oui 
own  way." 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  mate  blankly,  admiring  the 
other's  choice  of  pronouns. 

Up  to  Friday  afternoon  the  skipper  went  about 
with  a  smile  of  kindly  satisfaction  on  his  face ;  but 
in  the  evening  it  weakened  somewhat,  and  by  Satur- 
day morning  it  had  vanished  altogether,  and  was 
replaced  by  an  expression  of  blank  amazement  and 
anxiety,  for  the  crew  shunned  the  water-cask  as 
though  it  were  poison,  without  appearing  to  suffer 
the  slightest  inconvenience.  A  visible  air  of  pro- 
prietorship appeared  on  their  faces  whenever  they 


MANY    CARGOES 

looked  at  the  skipper,  and  the  now  frightened  man 
inveighed  fiercely  to  the  mate  against  the  improper 
methods  of  conversion  patronised  by  some  religious 
bodies,  and  the  aggravating  obstinacy  of  some  of 
their  followers. 

"  It 's  wonderful  what  enthusiasm  '11  do  for  a 
man,"  said  Bob  reflectively;  "I  knew  a  man 
once  " 

"  I  don't  want  none  o'  your  lies,"  interposed  the 
other  rudely. 

"  An'  I  don't  want  your  blamed  rum  and  water, 
if  it  comes  to  that,"  said  the  mate,  firing  up.  "  When 
a  man  's  tea  is  made  with  rum,  an'  his  beef  is  biled 
in  it,  he  begins  to  wonder  whether  he  's  shipped  with 
a  seaman  or  a  —  a  " 

"  A  what?  "  shouted  the  skipper.    "  Say  it!  " 

"  I  can't  think  o'  nothing  foolish  enough,"  was  the 
frank  reply.  "  It 's  all  right  for  you,  becos  it 's  the 
last  licker  as  you  '11  be  allowed  to  taste,  but  it 's 
rough  on  me  and  the  cook." 

"  Damn  you  an'  the  cook/'  said  the  skipper,  and 
went  on  deck  to  see  whether  the  men's  tongues  were 
hanging  out. 

By  Sunday  morning  he  was  frantic ;  the  men  were 
hale  and  well  enough,  though,  perhaps,  a  trifle  thin, 
and  he  began  to  believe  with  the  cook  that  the  age 
of  miracles  had  not  yet  passed. 

It  was  a  broiling  hot  day,  and,  to  add  to  his  dis- 
comfort, the  mate,  who  was  consumed  by  a  raging 
thirst,  lay  panting  in  the  shade  of  the  mainsail,  ex- 
changing condolences  of  a  most  offensive  nature 
with  the  cook  every  time  he  looked  his  way. 

All  the  morning  he  grumbled  incessantly,  until 

[134] 


LOW    WATER 

at  length,  warned  by  an  offensive  smell  of  rum  that 
dinner  was  on  the  table,  he  got  up  and  went  below. 

At  the  foot  of  the  ladder  he  paused  abruptly,  for 
the  skipper  was  leaning  back  in  his  seat,  gazing  in 
a  fascinated  manner  at  some  object  on  the  table. 

"  What 's  the  matter  ?  "  inquired  the  mate  in 
alarm. 

The  other,  who  did  not  appear  to  hear  the  ques- 
tion, made  no  answer,  but  continued  to  stare  in  a 
most  extraordinary  fashion  at  a  bottle  which  graced 
the  centre  of  the  table. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  inquired  the  mate,  not  venturing 
to  trust  his  eyes.  "  Water?  Where  did  it  come 
from?" 

"  Cook!  "  roared  the  skipper,  turning  a  bloodshot 
eye  on  that  worthy,  as  his  pallid  face  showed  behind 
the  mate,  "  what 's  this?  If  you  say  it 's  water  I  '11 
kill  you." 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  sir,"  said  the  cook 
cautiously ;  "  but  Dick  sent  it  to  you  with  his  best 
respects,  and  I  was  to  say  as  there  's  plenty  more 
where  that  came  from.  He  's  a  nasty,  under'anded, 
deceitful  old  man,  is  Dick,  sir,  an'  it  seems  he  laid 
in  a  stock  o'  water  in  bottles  an'  the  like  afore  you 
doctored  the  cask,  an'  the  men  have  had  it  locked  up 
in  their  chests  ever  since." 

"  Dick 's  a  very  clever  old  man,"  remarked  the 
mate,  pouring  himself  out  a  glass,  and  drinking  it 
with  infinite  relish,  "  ain't  he,  cap'n  ?  It  '11  be  a  priv- 
ilege to  jine  anything  that  man  's  connected  with, 
won't  it?" 

He  paused  for  a  reply,  but  none  came,  for  the 
cap'n,  with  dim  eyes,  was  staring  blankly  into  a 

[1351 


MANY    CARGOES 

future  so  lonely  and  uncongenial  that  he  had  lost  the 
power  of  speech  —  even  of  that  which,  at  other 
crises,  had  never  failed  to  afford  him  relief.  The 
mate  gazed  at  him  curiously  for  a  moment,  and 
then,  imitating  the  example  of  the  cook,  quitted 
the  cabin. 


IN    MID-ATLANTIC 

O,  sir,"  said  the  night-watchman,  as  he 
took  a  seat  on  a  post  at  the  end  of  the 
jetty,  and  stowed  a  huge  piece  of  tobacco 
in  his  cheek.  "  No,  man  an'  boy,  I  was  at  sea  forty 
years  afore  I  took  on  this  job,  but  I  can't  say  as  ever 
I  saw  a  real,  downright  ghost." 

This  was  disappointing,  and  I  said  so.  Previous 
experience  of  the  power  of  Bill's  vision  had  led  me 
to  expect  something  very  different. 

"  Not  but  what  I  've  known  some  queer  things 
happen,"  said  Bill,  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  Surrey 
side,  and  going  off  into  a  kind  of  trance.  "  Queer 
things." 

I  waited  patiently;  Bill's  eyes,  after  resting  for 
some  time  on  Surrey,  began  to  slowly  cross  the  river, 
paused  midway  in  reasonable  hopes  of  a  collision 
between  a  tug  with  its  flotilla  of  barges  and  a  penny 
steamer,  and  then  came  back  to  me. 

"  You  heard  that  yarn  old  Cap'n  Harris  was  tell- 
ing the  other  day  about  the  skipper  he  knew  having 
a  warning  one  night  to  alter  his  course,  an'  doing 
so,  picked  up  five  live  men  and  three  dead  skeletons 
in  a  open  boat  ?  "  he  inquired. 

I  nodded. 

"  The  yarn  in  various  forms  is  an  old  one,"  said  I. 

[1371 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  It 's  all  founded  on  something  I  told  him  once," 
said  Bill.  "  I  don't  wish  to  accuse  Cap'n  Harris 
of  taking  another  man's  true  story  an'  spoiling  it; 
he  's  got  a  bad  memory,  that 's  all.  Fust  of  all,  he 
forgets  he  ever  heard  the  yarn;  secondly,  he  goes 
and  spoils  it." 

I  gave  a  sympathetic  murmur.  Harris  was  as 
truthful  an  old  man  as  ever  breathed,  but  his  tales 
were  terribly  restricted  by  this  circumstance, 
whereas  Bill's  were  limited  by  nothing  but  his  own 
imagination. 

"  It  was  about  fifteen  years  ago  now,"  began  Bill, 
getting  the  quid  into  a  bye-way  of  his  cheek,  where 
it  would  not  impede  his  utterance.  "  I  was  A.B. 
on  the  Swallow,  a  barque,  trading  wherever  we 
could  pick  up  stuff.  On  this  v'y'ge  we  was  bound 
from  London  to  Jamaica  with  a  general  cargo. 

"  The  start  of  that  v'y'ge  was  excellent.  We  was 
towed  out  of  the  St.  Katherine's  Docks  here,  to  the 
Nore,  an'  the  tug  left  us  to  a  stiff  breeze,  which 
fairly  raced  us  down  Channel  and  out  into  the  At- 
lantic. Everybody  was  saying  what  a  fine  v'y'ge  we 
was  having,  an'  what  quick  time  we  should  make, 
an'  the  fust  mate  was  in  such  a  lovely  temper  that 
you  might  do  anything  with  him  a'most. 

"  We  was  about  ten  days  out,  an'  still  slipping 
along  in  this  spanking  way,  when  all  of  a  sudden 
things  changed.  I  was  at  the  wheel  with  the  second 
mate  one  night,  when  the  skipper,  whose  name  was 
Brown,  came  up  from  below  in  a  uneasy  sort  o' 
fashion,  and  stood  looking  at  us  for  some  time  with- 
out speaking.  Then  at  last  he  sort  o'  makes  up  his 
mind,  and  ses  he  — 

[138] 


IN    MID-ATLANTIC 

" '  Mr.  McMillan,  I  've  just  had  a  most  remark- 
able experience,  an'  I  don't  know  what  to  do 
about  it.' 

"  '  Yes,  sir?  '  ses  Mr.  McMillan. 

"  '  Three  times  I  've  been  woke  up  this  night  by 
something  shouting  in  my  ear,  "  Steer  nor'-nor'- 
west !  "  '  ses  the  cap'n  very  solemnly,  '  "  Steer  nor'- 
nor'-west ! "  that 's  all  it  says.  The  first  time  I 
thought  it  was  somebody  got  into  my  cabin  skylark- 
ing, and  I  laid  for  'em  with  a  stick ;  but  I  've  heard 
it  three  times,  an'  there  's  nothing  there.' 

"  '  It 's  a  supernatural  warning/  ses  the  second 
mate,  who  had  a  great  uncle  once  who  had  the  sec- 
ond sight,  and  was  the  most  unpopular  man  of  his 
family,  because  he  always  knew  what  to  expect,  and 
laid  his  plans  according. 

"  '  That 's  what  I  think/  ses  the  cap'n.    '  There  's 
some  poor  shipwrecked  fellow  creatures  in  distress.' 
'  It 's  a  verra  grave  responsebeelity/   ses  Mr. 
McMillan.     *  I  should  just  ca'  up  the  fairst  mate/ 

'  Bill/  ses  the  cap'n,  '  just  go  down  below,  and 
tell  Mr.  Salmon  I  'd  like  a  few  words  with  him 
partikler/ 

"  Well,  I  went  down  below,  and  called  up  the  first 
mate,  and  as  soon  as  I  'd  explained  to  him  what  he 
was  wanted  for,  he  went  right  off  into  a  fit  of  out- 
rageous bad  language,  an'  hit  me.  He  came  right 
up  on  deck  in  his  pants  an'  socks.  A  most  disre- 
spekful  way  to  come  to  the  cap'n,  but  he  was  that 
hot  and  excited  he  did  n't  care  what  he  did. 

"  '  Mr.  Salmon/  ses  the  cap'n  gravely,  '  I  've  just 
had  a  most  solemn  warning,  and  I  want  to ' 

"  '  I  know/  says  the  mate  gruffly. 

[139] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  '  What !  have  you  heard  it  too  ?  '  ses  the  cap'n, 
in  surprise.  '  Three  times  ?  ' 

"  '  I  heard  it  from  him,'  ses  the  mate,  pointing  to 
me.  '  Nightmare,  sir,  nightmare.' 

"  '  It  was  not  nightmare,  sir,'  ses  the  cap'n,  very 
huffy,  '  an'  if  I  hear  it  again,  I  'm  going  to  alter  this 
ship's  course.' 

"  Well,  the  fust  mate  was  in  a  hole.  He  wanted 
to  call  the  skipper  something  which  he  knew  was  n't 
discipline.  I  knew  what  it  was,  an'  I  knew  if  the 
mate  did  n't  do  something  he  'd  be  ill,  he  was  that 
sort  of  man,  everything  flew  to  his  head.  He  walked 
away,  and  put  his  head  over  the  side  for  a  bit,  an'  at 
last,  when  he  came  back,  he  was,  comparatively 
speaking,  calm. 

"  '  You  must  n't  hear  them  words  again,  sir,'  ses 
he ;  '  don't  go  to  sleep  again  to-night.  Stay  up,  an' 
we  '11  have  a  hand  o'  cards,  and  in  the  morning  you 
take  a  good  stiff  dose  o'  rhoobarb.  Don't  spoil  one 
o'  the  best  trips  we  've  ever  had  for  the  sake  of  a 
pennyworth  of  rhoobarb,'  ses  he,  pleading-like. 

"  '  Mr.  Salmon,'  ses  the  cap'n,  very  angry,  '  I  shall 
not  fly  in  the  face  o'  Providence  in  any  such  way. 
I  shall  sleep  as  usual,  an'  as  for  your  rhoobarb,'  ses 
the  cap'n,  working  hisself  up  into  a  passion  — 
*  damme,  sir,  I  '11  —  I  '11  dose  the  whole  crew  with 
it,  from  first  mate  to  cabin-boy,  if  I  have  any 
impertinence.' 

"  Well,  Mr.  Salmon,  who  was  getting  very  mad, 
stalks  down  below,  followed  by  the  cap'n,  an'  Mr. 
McMillan  was  that  excited  that  he  even  started  talk- 
ing to  me  about  it.  Half-an-hour  arterwards  the 
cap'n  comes  running  up  on  deck  again. 
[140] 


IN    MID-ATLANTIC 

"  '  Mr.  McMillan,'  ses  he  excitedly,  '  steer  nor'- 
nor'-west  until  further  orders.  I  've  heard  it  again, 
an'  this  time  it  nearly  split  the  drum  of  my  ear.' 

"  The  ship's  course  was  altered,  an'  after  the  old 
man  was  satisfied  he  went  back  to  bed  again,  an' 
almost  directly  arter  eight  bells  went,  an'  I  was  re- 
lieved. I  was  n't  on  deck  when  the  fust  mate  come 
up,  but  those  that  were  said  he  took  it  very  calm. 
He  did  n't  say  a  word.  He  just  sat  down  on  the 
poop,  and  blew  his  cheeks  out. 

"  As  soon  as  ever  it  was  daylight  the  skipper  was 
on  deck  with  his  glasses.  He  sent  men  up  to  the 
masthead  to  keep  a  good  look-out,  an'  he  was 
dancing  about  like  a  cat  on  hot  bricks  all  the 
morning. 

'  How  long  are  we  to  go  on  this  course,  sir  ? ' 

asks  Mr.  Salmon,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

'  I  Ve  not  made  up  my  mind,  sir/  ses  the  cap'n, 

very  stately ;  but  I  could  see  he  was  looking  a  trifle 

foolish. 

"  At  twelve  o'clock  in  the  day,  the  fust  mate  got 
a  cough,  and  every  time  he  coughed  it  seemed  to  act 
upon  the  skipper,  and  make  him  madder  and  madder. 
Now  that  it  was  broad  daylight,  Mr.  McMillan 
did  n't  seem  to  be  so  creepy  as  the  night  before,  an' 
I  could  see  the  cap'n  was  only  waiting  for  the  slight- 
est excuse  to  get  into  our  proper  course  again. 

"  '  That 's  a  nasty,  bad  cough  o'  yours,  Mr.  Sal- 
mon,' ses  he,  eyeing  the  mate  very  hard. 

4  Yes,  a  nasty,  irritating  sort  o%  cough,  sir,'  ses 
the  other ;  '  it  worries  me  a  great  deal.  It 's  this 
going  up  nor'ards  what 's  sticking  in  my  throat/ 
ses  he. 

[Hi] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  The  cap'n  give  a  gulp,  and  walked  off,  but  he 
comes  back  in  a  minute,  and  ses  he  — 

"  '  Mr.  Salmon,  I  should  think  it  a  great  pity  to 
lose  a  valuable  officer  like  yourself,  even  to  do  good 
to  others.  There  's  a  hard  ring  about  that  cough  I 
don't  like,  an'  if  you  really  think  it 's  going  up  this 
bit  north,  why,  I  don't  mind  putting  the  ship  in  her 
course  again.' 

"  Well,  the  mate  thanked  him  kindly,  and  he  was 
just  about  to  give  the  orders  when  one  o'  the  men 
who  was  at  the  masthead  suddenly  shouts  out  — 

"  '  Ahoy !    Small  boat  on  the  port  bow ! ' 

"  The  cap'n  started  as  if  he  'd  been  shot,  and  ran 
up  the  rigging  with  his  glasses.  He  came  down 
again  almost  direckly,  and  his  face  was  all  in  a  glow 
with  pleasure  and  excitement. 

"  '  Mr.  Salmon,'  ses  he,  '  here  's  a  small  boat  with 
a  lug  sail  in  the  middle  o'  the  Atlantic,  with  one 
pore  man  lying  in  the  bottom  of  her.  What  do  you 
think  o'  my  warning  now  ? ' 

"  The  mate  did  n't  say  anything  at  first,  but  he 
took  the  glasses  and  had  a  look,  an'  when  he  came 
back  anyone  could  see  his  opinion  of  the  skipper  had 
gone  up  miles  and  miles. 

"  '  It 's  a  wonderful  thing,  sir,'  ses  he,  '  and  one 
I  '11  remember  all  my  life.  It 's  evident  that  you  've 
been  picked  out  as  a  instrument  to  do  this  good 
work.' 

"  I  'd  never  heard  the  fust  mate  talk  like  that 
afore,  'cept  once  when  he  fell  overboard,  when  he 
was  full,  and  stuck  in  the  Thames  mud.  He  said  it 
was  Providence;  though,  as  it  was  low  water,  ac- 
cording to  the  tide-table,  I  could  n't  see  what  Provi- 

[142] 


IN    MID-ATLANTIC 

dence  had  to  do  with  it  myself.  He  was  as  excited 
as  anybody,  and  took  the  wheel  himself,  and  put  the 
ship's  head  for  the  boat,  and  as  she  came  closer,  our 
boat  was  slung  out,  and  me  and  the  second  mate  and 
three  other  men  dropped  into  her,  an'  pulled  so  as  to 
meet  the  other. 

"  '  Never  mind  the  boat ;  we  don't  want  to  be 
bothered  with  her,'  shouts  out  the  cap'n  as  we  pulled 
away  —  '  Save  the  man ! ' 

"  I  '11  say  this  for  Mr.  McMillan,  he  steered  that 
boat  beautifully,  and  we  ran  alongside  o'  the  other 
as  clever  as  possible.  Two  of  us  shipped  our  oars, 
and  gripped  her  tight,  and  then  we  saw  that  she  was 
just  an  ordinary  boat,  partly  decked  in,  with  the 
head  and  shoulders  of  a  man  showing  in  the  opening, 
fast  asleep,  and  snoring  like  thunder. 

"  '  Puir  chap,'  ses  Mr.  McMillan,  standing  up. 
'  Look  how  wasted  he  is.' 

"  He  laid  hold  o'  the  man  by  the  neck  of  his  coat 
an'  his  belt,  an',  being  a  very  powerful  man,  dragged 
him  up  and  swung  him  into  our  boat,  which  was 
bobbing  up  and  down,  and  grating  against  the  side 
of  the  other.  We  let  go  then,  an'  the  man  we  'd  res- 
cued opened  his  eyes  as  Mr.  McMillan  tumbled  over 
one  of  the  thwarts  with  him,  and,  letting  off  a  roar 
like  a  bull,  tried  to  jump  back  into  his  boat. 

"  '  Hold  him ! '  shouted  the  second  mate.  '  Hold 
him  tight !  He  's  mad,  puir  feller.' 

"  By  the  way  that  man  fought  and  yelled,  we 
thought  the  mate  was  right,  too.  He  was  a  short, 
stiff  chap,  hard  as  iron,  and  he  bit  and  kicked  and 
swore  for  all  he  was  worth,  until  at  last  we  tripped 
him  up  and  tumbled  him  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 

[143] 


MANY    CARGOES 

and  held  him  there  with  his  head  hanging  back  over 
a  thwart. 

"  '  It 's  all  right,  my  puir  feller/  ses  the  second 
mate;  'ye 're  in  good  hands  —  ye 're  saved.' 

"  '  Damme ! '  ses  the  man ;  '  what 's  your  little 
game?  Where's  my  boat  —  eh?  Where's  my 
boat?' 

"  He  wriggled  a  bit,  and  got  his  head  up,  and, 
when  he  saw  it  bowling  along  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  away,  his  temper  got  the  better  of  him,  and  he 
swore  that  if  Mr.  McMillan  did  n't  row  after  it  he  'd 
knife  him. 

"  '  We  can't  bother  about  the  boat,'  ses  the  mate; 
'  we  've  had  enough  bother  to  rescue  you.' 

"  '  Who  the  devil  wanted  you  to  rescue  me  ?  '  bel- 
lowed the  man.  '  I  '11  make  you  pay  for  this,  you 
miserable  swabs.  If  there  's  any  law  in  Amurrica, 
you  shall  have  it ! ' 

"  By  this  time  we  had  got  to  the  ship,  which  had 
shortened  sail,  and  the  cap'n  was  standing  by  the 
side,  looking  down  upon  the  stranger  with  a  big, 
kind  smile  which  nearly  sent  him  crazy. 

"  '  Welcome  aboard,  my  pore  feller,'  ses  he,  hold- 
ing out  his  hand  as  the  chap  got  up  the  side. 

"  '  Are  you  the  author  of  this  outrage  ?  '  ses  the 
man  fiercely. 

"  '  I  don't  understand  you,'  ses  the  cap'n,  very  dig- 
nified, and  drawing  himself  up. 

"  '  Did  you  send  your  chaps  to  sneak  me  out  o' 
my  boat  while  I  was  having  forty  winks  ?  '  roars  the 
other.  '  Damme!  that 's  English,  ain't  it?  ' 

"  '  Surely,'  ses  the  cap'n,  '  surely  you  did  n't  wish 
to  be  left  to  perish  in  that  little  craft.  I  had  a  super- 

[i44] 


IN    MID-ATLANTIC 

natural  warning  to  steer  this  course  on  purpose  to 
pick  you  up,  and  this  is  your  gratitude.' 

"  '  Look  here ! '  ses  the  other.  '  My  name  's  Cap'n 
Naskett,  and  I  'm  doing  a  record  trip  from  New 
York  to  Liverpool  in  the  smallest  boat  that  has  ever 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  an'  you  go  an'  bust  everything 
with  your  cussed  officiousness.  If  you  think  I  'm 
going  to  be  kidnapped  just  to  fulfil  your  beastly 
warnings,  you  've  made  a  mistake.  I  '11  have  the 
law  on  you,  that 's  what  I  '11  do.  Kidnapping  's  a 
punishable  offence.' 

"  '  What  did  you  come  here  for,  then  ? '  ses  the 
cap'n. 

"'Come!'  howls  Cap'n  Naskett.  'Come!  A 
feller  sneaks  up  alongside  o'  me  with  a  boat-load  of 
street-sweepings  dressed  as  sailors,  and  snaps  me  up 
while  I  'm  asleep,  and  you  ask  me  what  I  come 
for.  Look  here.  You  clap  on  all  sail  and  catch  that 
boat  o'  mine,  and  put  me  back,  and  I  '11  call  it  quits. 
If  you  don't,  I  '11  bring  a  law-suit  agin  you,  and 
make  you  the  laughing-stock  of  two  continents  into 
the  bargain.' 

"  Well,  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  bargain,  the 
cap'n  sailed  after  the  cussed  little  boat,  and  Mr. 
Salmon,  who  thought  more  than  enough  time  had 
been  lost  already,  fell  foul  o'  Cap'n  Naskett.  They 
was  both  pretty  talkers,  and  the  way  they  went  on 
was  a  education  for  every  sailorman  afloat.  Every 
man  aboard  got  as  near  as  they  durst  to  listen  to 
them;  but  I  must  say  Cap'n  Naskett  had  the  best 
of  it.  He  was  a  sarkastik  man,  and  pretended  to 
think  the  ship  was  fitted  out  just  to  pick  up  ship- 
wrecked people,  an'  he  also  pretended  to  think  we 


MANY    CARGOES 

was  castaways  what  had  been  saved  by  it.  He  said 
o'  course  anybody  could  see  at  a  glance  we  was  n't 
sailormen,  an'  he  supposed  Mr.  Salmon  was  a  butcher 
what  had  been  carried  out  to  sea  while  paddling  at 


"  He  was  ungrateful  up  to  the  last 


Margate  to  strengthen  his  ankles.  He  said  a  lot 
more  of  this  sort  of  thing,  and  all  this  time  we  was 
chasing  his  miserable  little  boat,  an'  he  was  admir- 
ing the  way  she  sailed,  while  the  fust  mate  was 
answering  his  reflexshuns,  an'  I  'm  sure  that  not 


IN    MID-ATLANTIC 

even  our  skipper  was  more  pleased  than  Mr.  Salmon 
•when  we  caught  it  at  last,  and  shoved  him  back.  He 
was  ungrateful  up  to  the  last,  an',  just  before  leaving 
the  ship,  actually  went  up  to  Cap'n  Brown,  and  ad- 
vised him  to  shut  his  eyes  an'  turn  round  three  times 
and  catch  what  he  could. 

"  I  never  saw  the  skipper  so  upset  afore,  but  I 
heard  him  tell  Mr.  McMillan  that  night  that  if  he 
ever  went  out  of  his  way  again  after  a  craft,  it  would 
only  be  to  run  it  down.  Most  people  keep  pretty 
quiet  about  supernatural  things  that  happen  to  them, 
but  he  was  about  the  quietest  I  ever  heard  of,  an', 
what 's  more,  he  made  everyone  else  keep  quiet  about 
it,  too.  Even  when  he  had  to  steer  nor'-nor'-west 
arter  that  in  the  way  o'  business  he  did  n't  like  it, 
an'  he  was  about  the  most  cruelly  disappointed  man 
you  ever  saw  when  he  heard  afterwards  that  Cap'n 
Naskett  got  safe  to  Liverpool." 


[1471 


AFTER    THE    INQUEST 

IT  was  a  still  fair  evening  in  late  summer  in  the 
parish  of  Wapping.    The  hands  had  long  since 
left,   and  the  night  watchman   having  aban- 
doned his  trust  in  favour  of  a  neighbouring  bar,  the 
wharf  was  deserted. 

An  elderly  seaman  came  to  the  gate  and  paused 
irresolute,  then,  seeing  all  was  quiet,  stole  cautiously 
on  to  the  jetty,  and  stood  for  some  time  gazing  curi- 
ously down  on  to  the  deck  of  the  billy-boy  Psyche 
lying  alongside. 

With  the  exception  of  the  mate,  who,  since  the 
lamented  disappearance  of  its  late  master  and  owner, 
was  acting  as  captain,  the  deck  was  as  deserted  as 
the  wharf.  He  was  smoking  an  evening  pipe  in  all 
the  pride  of  a  first  command,  his  eye  roving  fondly 
from  the  blunt  bows  and  untidy  deck  of  his  craft  to 
her  clumsy  stern,  when  a  slight  cough  from  the  man 
above  attracted  his  attention. 

"  How  do,  George?  "  said  the  man  on  the  jetty, 
somewhat  sheepishly,  as  the  other  looked  up. 

The  mate  opened  his  mouth,  and  his  pipe  fell  from 
it  and  smashed  to  pieces  unnoticed. 

"  Got  much  stuff  in  her  this  trip?  "  continued  the 
man,  with  an  obvious  attempt  to  appear  at  ease. 
[148] 


AFTER    THE    INQUEST 

The  mate,  still  looking  up,  backed  slowly  to  the 
other  side  of  the  deck,  but  made  no  reply. 

"  What 's  the  matter,  man  ?  "  said  the  other  test- 
ily. "  You  don't  seem  overpleased  to  see  me." 

He  leaned  over  as  he  spoke,  and,  laying  hold  of 
the  rigging,  descended  to  the  deck,  while  the  mate 
took  his  breath  in  short,  exhilarating  gasps. 

"  Here  I  am,  George,"  said  the  intruder,  "  turned 
up  like  a  bad  penny,  an'  glad  to  see  your  handsome 
face  again,  I  can  tell  you." 

In  response  to  this  flattering  remark  George 
gurgled. 

"  Why,"  said  the  other,  with  an  uneasy  laugh, 
"  did  you  think  I  was  dead,  George?  Ha,  ha!  Feel 
that!" 

He  fetched  the  horrified  man  a  thump  in  the  back, 
which  stopped  even  his  gurgles. 

"  That  feel  like  a  dead  man  ?  "  asked  the  smiter, 
raising  his  hand  again.  "  Feel  " 

The  mate  moved  back  hastily.  "  That  '11  do," 
said  he  fiercely ;  "  ghost  or  no  ghost,  don't  you  hit 
me  like  that  again." 

"  A'right,  George,"  said  the  other,  as  he  medita- 
tively felt  the  stiff  grey  whiskers  which  framed  his 
red  face.  "  What 's  the  news?  " 

"  The  news,"  said  George,  who  was  of  slow  habits 
and  speech,  "  is  that  you  was  found  last  Tuesday 
week  off  St.  Katherine's  Stairs,  you  was  sat  on  a 
Friday  week  at  the  Town  o'  Ramsgate  public-house, 
and  buried  on  Monday  afternoon  at  Lowestoft." 

"  Buried?  "  gasped  the  other,  "  sat  on?  You  've 
been  drinking,  George." 

"  An'  a  pretty  penny  your  funeral  cost,  I  can  tell 

[149] 


MANY    CARGOES 

you,"  continued  the  mate.  "  There  's  a  headstone 
being  made  now  — '  Lived  lamented  and  died  re- 
spected,' I  think  it  is,  with  '  Not  lost,  but  gone  be- 
fore,' at  the  bottom." 

"  Lived  respected  and  died  lamented,  you  mean," 
growled  the  old  man ;  "  well,  a  nice  muddle  you 
have  made  of  it  between  you.  Things  always  go 
wrong  when  I  'm  not  here  to  look  after  them." 

"  You  ain't  dead,  then  ?  "  said  the  mate,  taking  no 
notice  of  this  unreasonable  remark.  "  Where  've 
you  been  afl  this  long  time?  " 

"  No  more  than  you  're  master  o'  this  'ere  ship," 
replied  Mr.  Harbolt  grimly.  "I  —  I  've  been  a  bit 
queer  in  the  stomach,  an'  I  took  a  little  drink  to  cor- 
rect it.  Foolish  like,  I  took  the  wrong  drink,  and  it 
must  have  got  into  my  head." 

"  That 's  the  worst  of  not  being  used  to  it,"  said 
the  mate,  without  moving  a  muscle. 

The  skipper  eyed  him  solemnly,  but  the  mate  stood 
firm. 

"  Arter  that,"  continued  the  skipper,  still  watching 
him  suspiciously,  "  I  remember  no  more  distinctly 
until  this  morning,  when  I  found  myself  sitting  on 
a  step  down  Poplar  way  and  shiverin',  with  the 
morning-  newspaper  and  a  crowd  round  me." 

"  Morning  newspaper !  "  repeated  the  mystified 
mate.  "  What  was  that  for?  " 

"  Decency.  I  was  wrapped  up  in  it,"  replied  the 
skipper.  "  Where  I  came  from  or  how  I  got  there 
I  don't  know  more  than  Adam.  I  s'pose  I  must  have 
been  ill ;  I  seem  to  remember  taking  something  out 
of  a  bottle  pretty  often.  Some  old  gentleman  in  the 
crowd  took  me  into  a  shop  and  bought  me  these 
.[150]  . 


AFTER    THE    INQUEST 

clothes,  an'  here  I  am.  My  own  clo'es  and  thirty 
pounds  o'  freight  money  I  had  in  my  pocket  is  all 
gone." 

"  Well,  I  'm  hearty  glad  to  see  you  back,"  said  the 
mate.  "  It 's  quite  a  home-coming  for  you,  too. 
Your  missis  is  down  aft." 

"  My  missis  ?  What  the  devil 's  she  aboard  for?  " 
growled  the  skipper,  successfully  controlling  his  nat- 
ural gratification  at  the  news. 

"  She  's  been  with  us  these  last  two  trips,"  replied 
the  mate.  "  She  's  had  business  to  settle  in  London, 
and  she  's  been  going  through  your  lockers  to  clear 
up,  like." 

"  My  lockers !  "  groaned  the  skipper.  "  Good 
heavens !  there  's  things  in  them  lockers  I  would  n't 
have  her  see  for  the  world;  women  are  so  fussy 
an'  so  fond  o'  making  something  out  o'  nothing. 
There  's  a  pore  female  touched  a  bit  in  the  upper 
storey,  what 's  been  writing  love  letters  to  me, 
George." 

"  Three  pore  females,"  said  the  precise  mate ;  "  the 
missis  has  got  all  the  letters  tied  up  with  blue  ribbon. 
Very  far  gone  they  was,  too,  poor  creeters." 

"  George,"  said  the  skipper  in  a  broken  voice, 
"  I  'm  a  ruined  man.  I  '11  never  hear  the  end  o'  this. 
I  guess  I  '11  go  an'  sleep  for'ard  this  voyage,  and  lie 
low.  Be  keerful  you  don't  let  on  I  'm  aboard,  an' 
after  she  's  home  I  '11  take  the  ship  again,  and  let 
the  thing  leak  out  gradual.  Come  to  life  bit  by  bit, 
so  to  speak.  It  would  n't  do  to  scare  her,  George, 
an'  in  the  meantime  I  '11  try  an'  think  o'  some  ex- 
planation to  tell  her.  You  might  be  thinking  too." 

"  I  '11  do  what  I  can,"  said  the  mate. 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Crack  me  up  to  the  old  girl  all  you  can ;  tell  her 
I  used  to  write  to  all  sorts  o'  people  when  I  got  a 
drop  of  drink  in  me;  say  how  thoughtful  I  always 
was  of  her.  You  might  tell  her  about  that  gold 
locket  I  bought  for  her  an'  got  robbed  of." 

"Gold  locket?"  said  the  mate  in  tones  of  great 
surprise.  "What  gold  locket?  Fust  I've  heard 
of  it." 

"  Any  gold  locket/'  said  the  skipper  irritably ; 
"  anything  you  can  think  of ;  you  need  n't  be  per- 
tikler.  Arter  that  you  can  drop  little  hints  about 
people  being  buried  in  mistake  for  others,  so  as  to 
prepare  her  a  bit  —  I  don't  want  to  scare  her." 

"  Leave  it  to  me,"  said  the  mate. 

"  I  '11  go  an'  turn  in  now,  I  'm  dead  tired,"  said 
the  skipper.  "  I  s'pose  Joe  and  the  boy  's  asleep?  " 

George  nodded,  and  meditatively  watched  the 
other  as  he  pushed  back  the  fore-scuttle  and  drew  it 
after  him  as  he  descended.  Then  a  thought  struck 
the  mate,  and  he  ran  hastily  forward  and  threw  his 
weight  on  the  scuttle  just  in  time  to  frustrate  the 
efforts  of  Joe  and  the  boy,  who  were  coming  on  deck 
to  tell  him  a  new  ghost  story.  The  confusion  below 
was  frightful,  the  skipper's  cry  of  "  It 's  only  me, 
Joe,"  not  possessing  the  soothing  effect  which  he 
intended.  They  calmed  down  at  length,  after  their 
visitor  had  convinced  them  that  he  really  was  flesh 
and  blood  and  fists,  and  the  boy's  attention  being 
directed  to  a  small  rug  in  the  corner  of  the  fo'c'sle, 
the  skipper  took  his  bunk  and  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

He  slept  so  soundly  that  the  noise  of  the  vessel 
getting  under  way  failed  to  rouse  him,  and  she  was 
well  out  in  the  open  river  when  he  awoke,  and  after 


AFTER    THE    INQUEST 

cautiously  protruding  his  head  through  the  scuttle, 
ventured  on  deck.  For  some  time  he  stood  eagerly 
sniffing  the  cool,  sweet  air,  and  then,  after  a  look 
round,  gingerly  approached  the  mate,  who  was  at 
the  helm. 

"  Give  me  a  hold  on  her,"  said  he. 

"  You  had  better  get  below  again,  if  you  don't 
want  the  missis  to  see  you,"  said  the  mate.  "  She 's 
gettin'  up  —  nasty  temper  she  's  in  too." 


"  Cautiously  protruding  his  head" 

The  skipper  went  forward  grumbling.  "  Send 
down  a  good  breakfast,  George,"  said  he. 

To  his  great  discomfort  the  mate  suddenly  gave 
a  low  whistle,  and  regarded  him  with  a  look  of  blank 
dismay. 

"  Good  gracious!  "  he  cried,  "  I  forgot  all  about 
it.  Here  's  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish  —  well,  well." 

"Forgot  about  what?"  asked  the  skipper  un- 
easily. 

"  The  crew  take  their  meals  in  the  cabin  now," 
replied  the  mate,  "  'cos  the  missis  says  it 's  more 

.  J  153  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

cheerful  for  'em,  and  she  's  I'arning  'em  to  eat  their 
wittles  properly." 

The  skipper  looked  at  him  aghast.  "  You  '11  have 
to  smuggle  me  up  some  grub,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  I  'm  not  going  to  starve  for  nobody." 

"  Easier  said  than  done,"  said  the  mate.  "  The 
misses  has  got  eyes  like  needles ;  still,  I  '11  do 
the  best  I  can  for  you.  Look  out!  Here  she 
comes." 

The  skipper  fled  hastily,  and,  safe  down  below, 
explained  to  the  crew  how  they  were  to  secrete  por- 
tions of  their  breakfast  for  his  benefit.  The  amount 
of  explanation  required  for  so  simple  a  matter  was 
remarkable,  the  crew  manifesting  a  denseness  which 
irritated  him  almost  beyond  endurance.  They  prom- 
ised, however,  to  do  the  best  they  could  for  him,  and 
returned  in  triumph  after  a  hearty  meal,  and  pre- 
sented their  enraged  commander  with  a  few  greasy 
crumbs  and  the  tail  of  a  bloater. 

For  the  next  two  days  the  wind  was  against  them, 
and  they  made  but  little  progress.  Mrs.  Harbolt 
spent  most  of  her  time  on  deck,  thereby  confining 
her  husband  to  his  evil-smelling  quarters  below. 
Matters  were  not  improved  for  him  by  his  treatment 
of  the  crew,  who,  resenting  his  rough  treatment  of 
them,  were  doing  their  best  to  starve  him  into 
civility.  Most  of  the  time  he  kept  in  his  bunk  — 
or  rather  Jemmy's  bunk  —  a  prey  to  despondency 
and  hunger  of  an  acute  type,  venturing  on  deck  only 
at  night  to  prowl  uneasily  about  and  bemoan  his 
condition. 

On  the  third  night  Mrs.  Harbolt  was  later  in 
retiring  than  usual,  and  it  was  nearly  midnight 

Ii54] 


AFTER    THE    INQUEST 

before  the  skipper,  who  had  been  indignantly  watt- 
ing for  her  to  go,  was  able  to  get  on  deck  and  hold 
counsel  with  the  mate. 

"  I  've  done  what  I  could  for  you,"  said  the  latter, 
fishing  a  crust  from  his  pocket,  which  Harbolt  took 
thankfully.  "  I  've  told  her  all  the  yarns  I  could 
think  of  about  people  turning  up  after  they  was 
buried  and  the  like." 

"  What  'd  she  say?  "  queried  the  skipper  eagerly, 
between  his  bites. 

"  Told  me  not  to  talk  like  that,"  said  the  mate ; 
"  said  it  showed  a  want  o'  trust  in  Providence  to  hint 
at  such  things.  Then  I  told  her  what  you  asked  me 
about  the  locket,  only  I  made  it  a  bracelet  worth  ten 
pounds." 

"  That  pleased  her  ?  "  suggested  the  other  hope- 
fully. 

The  mate  shook  his  head.  "  She  said  I  was  a  born 
fool  to  believe  you  'd  been  robbed  of  it,"  he  replied. 
"  She  said  what  you  'd  done  was  to  give  it  to  one 
o'  them  pore  females.  She  's  been  going  on  frightful 
about  it  all  the  afternoon  —  won't  talk  o'  nothing 
else." 

"  I  don't  know  what 's  to  be  done,"  groaned  the 
skipper  despondently.  "  I  shall  be  dead  afore  we 
get  to  port  if  this  wind  holds.  Go  down  and  get  me 
something  to  eat,  George ;  I  'm  starving." 

"  Everything  's  locked  up,  as  I  told  you  afore," 
said  the  mate. 

"  As  the  master  of  this  ship,"  said  the  skipper, 
drawing  himself  up,  "  I  order  you  to  go  down  and 
get  me  something  to  eat.  You  can  tell  the  missus 
it 's  for  you  if  she  says  anything." 

[155] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  I  'm  hanged  if  I  will,"  said  the  mate  sturdily. 
**  Why  don't  you  go  down  and  have  it  out  with  her 
like  a  man?  She  can't  eat  you." 

"  I  'm  not  going  to,"  said  the  other  shortly. 
41 1  'm  a  determined  man,  and  when  I  say  a  thing 
I  mean  it.  It 's  going  to  be  broken  to  her  gradual, 
as  I  said;  I  don't  want  her  to  be  scared,  poor 
thing." 

"  I  know  who  'd  be  scared  the  most,"  murmured 
the  mate. 

The  skipper  looked  at  him  fiercely,  and  then  sat 
down  wearily  on  the  hatches  with  his  hands  between 
his  knees,  rising,  after  a  time,  to  get  the  dipper  and 
drink  copiously  from  the  water-cask.  Then,  replac- 
ing it  with  a  sigh,  he  bade  the  mate  a  surly  good- 
night and  went  below. 

To  his  dismay  he  found  when  he  awoke  in  the 
morning  that  what  little  wind  there  was  had  dropped 
in  the  night,  and  the  billy-boy  was  just  rising  and 
falling  lazily  on  the  water  in  a  fashion  most  ob- 
jectionable to  an  empty  stomach.  It  was  the  last 
straw,  and  he  made  things  so  uncomfortable  below 
that  the  crew  were  glad  to  escape  on  deck,  where 
they  squatted  down  in  the  bows,  and  proceeded  to 
review  a  situation  which  was  rapidly  becoming 
unbearable. 

"  I  've  'ad  enough  of  it,  Joe,"  grumbled  the  boy. 
"  I  'm  sore  all  over  with  sleeping  on  the  floor,  and 
the  old  man's  temper  gets  wuss  and  wuss.  I  'm 
going  to  be  ill." 

"  Whaffor?  "  queried  Joe  dully. 

"  You  tell  the  missus  I  'm  down  below  ill.  Say 
you  think  I  'm  dying,"  responded  the  infant  Machi- 

[156] 


avelli,  "  then  you  '11  see  somethink  if  you  keep  yoiir 
eyes  open." 

He  went  below  again,  not  without  a  little  nervous- 
ness, and,  clambering  into  Joe's  bunk,  rolled  over 
on  his  back  and  gave  a  deep  groan. 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  you? "  growled  the 
skipper,  who  was  lying  in  the  other  bunk  staving  off 
the  pangs  of  hunger  with  a  pipe. 

"  I  'm  very  ill  —  dying,"  said  Jemmy,  with  an- 
other groan. 

"  You  'd  better  stay  in  bed  and  have  your  break- 
fast brought  down  here,  then,"  said  the  skipper 
kindly. 

"  I  don't  want  no  breakfast,"  said  Jem  faintly, 

"  That 's  no  reason  why  you  should  n't  have  it 
sent  down,  you  unfeeling  little  brute,"  said  the  skip- 
per indignantly.  "  You  tell  Joe  to  bring  you  down 
a  great  plate  o'  cold  meat  and  pickles,  and  some 
coffee;  that's  what  you  want." 

"  All  right,  sir,"  said  Jemmy.  "  I  hope  they 
won't  let  the  missus  come  down  here,  in  case  it 's 
something  catching.  I  would  n't  like  her  to  be  took 
bad." 

"  Eh  ?  "  said  the  skipper,  in  alarm.  "  Certainly 
not.  Here,  you  go  up  and  die  on  deck.  Hurry  up 
with  you." 

"  I  can't ;   I  'm  too  weak,"  said  Jemmy. 

"  You  get  up  on  deck  at  once;  d'  ye  hear  me?  " 
hissed  the  skipper,  in  alarm. 

"  I  c-c-c-can't  help  it,"  sobbed  Jemmy,  who  was 
enjoying  the  situation  amazingly.  "  I  b'lieve  it 's 
sleeping  on  the  hard  floor 's  snapped  something 
inside  me." 

[1571 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  If  you  don't  go  I  '11  take  you,"  said  the  skipper, 
and  he  was  about  to  rise  to  put  his  threat  into  exe- 
cution when  a  shadow  fell  across  the  opening,  and 
a  voice,  which  thrilled  him  to  the  core,  said  softly, 
"Jemmy!" 

"  Yes  'm  ?  "  said  Jemmy  languidly,  as  the  skip- 
per flattened  himself  in  his  bunk  and  drew  the 
clothes  over  him. 

"  How  do  you  feel  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Harbolt. 

"  Bad  all  over,"  said  Jemmy.  "  Oh,  don't  come 
down,  mum  —  please  don't." 

"Rubbish!"  said  Mrs.  Harbolt  tartly,  as  she 
came  slowly  and  carefully  down  backwards. 
"  What  a  dark  hole  this  is,  Jemmy.  No  wonder 
you  're  ill.  Put  your  tongue  out." 

Jemmy  complied. 

"  I  can't  see  properly  here,"  murmured  the  lady, 
"  but  it  looks  very  large.  S'pose  you  go  in  the  other 
bunk,  Jemmy.  It 's  a  good  bit  higher  than  this, 
and  you  'd  get  more  air  and  be  more  comfortable 
altogether." 

"  Joe  would  n't  like  it,  mum,"  said  the  boy  anx- 
iously. The  last  glimpse  he  had  had  of  the  skip- 
per's face  did  not  make  him  yearn  to  share  his  bed 
with  him. 

"Stuff  an'  nonsense!"  said  Mrs.  Harbolt  hotly. 
"  Who  's  Joe,  I  'd  like  to  know  ?  Out  you  come." 

"  I  can't  move,  mum,"  said  Jemmy  firmly. 

"Nonsense!"  said  the  lady.  "I'll  just  put  it 
straight  for  you  first,  then  in  it  you  go." 

"  No,  don't,  mum,"  shouted  Jemmy,  now  thor- 
oughly alarmed  at  the  success  of  his  plot.  "  There, 
there 's  a  gentleman  in  that  bunk.  A  gentleman 


AFTER    THE    INQUEST 

we  brought  from  London  for  a  change  of  sea 
air." 

"  My  goodness  gracious !  "  ejaculated  the  sur- 
prised Mrs.  Harbolt.  "  I  never  did.  Why,  what 's 
he  had  to  eat  ?  " 

"He  —  he  —  didn't  want  nothing  to  eat,"  said 
Jemmy,  with  a  woeful  disregard  for  facts. 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  him  ?  "  inquired  Mrs. 
Harbolt,  eyeing  the  bunk  curiously.  "  What 's  his 
name?  Who  is  he?  " 

"  He  's  been  lost  a  long  time,"  said  Jemmy,  "  and 
he 's  forgotten  who  he  is  —  he  's  a  oldish  man  with 
a  red  face  an'  a  little  white  whisker  all  round  it  —  a 
very  nice-looking  man,  I  mean,"  he  interposed  hur- 
riedly. "  I  don't  think  he  's  quite  right  in  his  head, 
'cos  he  says  he  ought  to  have  been  buried  instead  of 
someone  else.  Oh !  " 

The  last  word  was  almost  a  scream,  for  Mrs.  Har- 
bolt, staggering  back,  pinched  him  convulsively. 

"  Jemmy !  "  she  gasped,  in  a  trembling  voice,  as 
she  suddenly  remembered  certain  mysterious  hints 
thrown  out  by  the  mate.  "  Who  is  it?  " 

"  The  captain!  "  said  Jemmy,  and,  breaking  from 
her  clasp,  slipped  from  his  bed  and  darted  hastily  on 
deck,  just  as  the  pallid  face  of  his  commander  broke 
through  the  blankets  and  beamed  anxiously  on  his 
wife. 

Five  minutes  later,  as  the  crew  gathered  aft  were 
curiously  eyeing  the  foc's'le,  Mrs.  Harbolt  and  the 
skipper  came  on  deck.  To  the  great  astonishment 
of  the  mate,  the  eyes  of  the  redoubtable  woman  were 
slightly  wet,  and,  regardless  of  the  presence  of  the 

[i59l 


MANY    CARGOES 

men,  she  clung  fondly  to  her  husband  as  they  walked 
slowly  to  the  cabin.  Ere  they  went  below,  however, 
she  called  the  grinning  Jemmy  to  her,  and,  to  his 
private  grief  and  public  shame,  tucked  his  head 
under  her  arm  and  kissed  him  fondly. 


\i6o] 


IN   LIMEHOUSE    REACH 

IT  was  the  mate's  affair  all  through.  He  began 
by  leaving  the  end  of  a  line  dangling  over  the 
stern,  and  the  propeller,  though  quite  unaccus- 
tomed to  that  sort  of  work,  wound  it  up  until  only  a 
few  fathoms  remained.  It  then  stopped,  and  the  mis- 
chief was  not  discovered  until  the  skipper  had  called 
the  engineer  everything  that  he  and  the  mate  and 
three  men  and  a  boy  could  think  of.  The  skipper  did 
the  interpreting  through  the  tube  which  afforded  the 
sole  means  of  communication  between  the  wheel  and 
the  engine-room,  and  the  indignant  engineer  did  the 
listening. 

The  Gem  was  just  off  Limehouse  at  the  time,  and 
it  was  evident  she  was  going  to  stay  there.  The 
skipper  ran  her  ashore  and  made  her  fast  to  a  roomy 
old  schooner  which  was  lying  alongside  a  wharf. 
He  was  then  able  to  give  a  little  attention  to  the 
real  offender,  and  the  unfortunate  mate,  who  had 
been  the  most  inventive  of  them  all,  realised  to  the 
full  the  old  saying  of  curses  coming  home  to  roost. 
They  brought  some  strangers  with  them,  too. 

"  I  'm  going  ashore,"  said  the  skipper  at  last. 
"  We  won't  get  off  till  next  tide  now.  When  it 's 
low  water  you  '11  have  to  get  down  and  cut  the  line 
it  1 161  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

away.  A  new  line  too !  I'm  ashamed  o*  you, 
Harry." 

"  I  'm  not  surprised,"  said  the  engineer,  who  was 
a  vindictive  man. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  "  demanded  the 
mate  fiercely. 

"  We  don't  want  any  of  your  bad  temper,"  inter- 
posed the  skipper  severely.  "  Nor  bad  language. 
The  men  can  go  ashore,  and  the  engineer  too,  pro- 
vided he  keeps  steam  up.  But  be  ready  for  a  start 
about  five.  You  '11  have  to  mind  the  ship." 

He  looked  over  the  stern  again,  shook  his  head 
sadly,  and,  after  a  visit  to  the  cabin,  clambered  over 
the  schooner's  side  and  got  ashore.  The  men,  after 
looking  at  the  propeller  and  shaking  their  heads, 
went  ashore  too,  and  the  boy,  after  looking  at  the 
propeller  and  getting  ready  to  shake  his,  caught  the 
mate's  eye  and  omitted  that  part  of  the  ceremony, 
from  a  sudden  conviction  that  it  was  unhealthy. 

Left  alone,  the  mate,  who  was  of  a  sensitive  dis- 
position, after  a  curt  nod  to  Captain  Jansell  of  the 
schooner  Aquila,  who  had  heard  of  the  disaster,  and 
was  disposed  to  be  sympathetically  inquisitive,  lit 
his  pipe  and  began  moodily  to  smoke. 

When  he  next  looked  up  the  old  man  had  disap- 
peared, and  a  girl  in  a  print  dress  and  a  large  straw 
hat  sat  in  a  wicker  chair  reading.  She  was  such  a 
pretty  girl  that  the  mate  forgot  his  troubles  at  once, 
and,  after  carefully  putting  his  cap  on  straight, 
strolled  casually  up  and  down  the  deck. 

To  his  mortification,  the  girl  seemed  unaware  of 
his  presence,  and  read  steadily,  occasionally  looking 
up  and  chirping  with  a  pair  of  ravishing  lips  at  a 
[162] 


IN    LIMEHOUSE    REACH 

blackbird,  which  hung  in  a  wicker  cage  from  the 
mainmast. 

"  That 's  a  nice  bird,"  said  the  mate,  leaning 
against  the  side,  and  turning  a  look  of  great  admi- 
ration upon  it. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  girl,  raising  a  pair  of  dark  blue 
eyes  to  the  bold  brown  ones,  and  taking  him  in  at  a 
glance. 

"  Does  it  sing?  "  inquired  the  mate,  with  a  shovr 
of  great  interest. 

"  It  does  sometimes,  when  we  are  alone,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  I  should  have  thought  the  sea  air  would  have 
affected  its  throat,"  said  the  mate,  reddening.  "  Are 
you  often  in  the  London  river,  miss?  I  don't  re- 
member seeing  your  craft  before." 

"  Not  often,"  said  the  girl. 

"  You  Ve  got  a  fine  schooner  here,"  said  the  mate, 
eyeing  it  critically.  "  For  my  part,  I  prefer  a  sailer 
to  a  steamer." 

"  I  should  think  you  would,"  said  the  girl. 

"Why?"  inquired  the  mate  tenderly,  pleased  at 
this  show  of  interest. 

"  No  propeller,"  said  the  girl  quietly,  and  she  left 
her  seat  and  disappeared  below,  leaving  the  mate 
gasping  painfully. 

Left  to  himself,  he  became  melancholy,  as  he  re- 
alised that  the  great  passion  of  his  life  had  com- 
menced, and  would  probably  end  within  a  few  hours. 
The  engineer  came  aboard  to  look  at  the  fires,  and, 
the  steamer  being  now  on  the  soft  mud,  good-na- 
turedly went  down  and  assisted  him  to  free  the  pro- 
peller before  going  ashore  again.  Then  he  was 

,  £163] 


MANY    CARGOES 

alone  once  more,  gazing  ruefully  at  the  bare  deck 
of  the  Aquila. 

It  was  past  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  before 
any  signs  of  life  other  than  the  blackbird  appeared 
there.  Then  the  girl  came  on  deck  again,  accompan- 
ied by  a  stout  woman  of  middle  age,  and  an  appear- 
ance so  affable  that  the  mate  commenced  at  once. 

"  Fine  day,"  he  said  pleasantly,  as  he  brought  up 
in  front  of  them. 

"  Lovely  weather,"  said  the  mother,  settling  her- 
self in  her  chair  and  putting  down  her  work  ready 
for  a  chat.  "  I  hope  the  wind  lasts ;  we  start  to- 
morrow morning's  tide.  You  '11  get  off  this  after- 
noon, I  s'pose." 

"  About  five  o'clock,"  said  the  mate. 

"  I  should  like  to  try  a  steamer  for  a  change," 
said  the  mother,  and  waxed  garrulous  on  sailing 
craft  generally,  and  her  own  in  particular. 

(<  There  's  five  of  us  down  there,  with  my  husband 
and  the  two  boys,"  said  she,  indicating  the  cabin 
with  her  thumb ;  "  naturally  it  gets  rather  stuffy." 

The  mate  sighed.  He  was  thinking  that  under 
some  conditions  there  were  worse  things  than  stuffy 
cabins. 

"  And  Nancy  's  so  discontented,"  said  the  mother, 
looking  at  the  girl  who  was  reading  quietly  by  her 
side.  "  She  does  n't  like  ships  or  sailors.  She  gets 
her  head  turned  reading  those  penny  novelettes." 

'  You  look  after  your  own  head,"  said  Nancy 
elegantly,  without  looking  up. 

"  Girls  in  those  novels  don't  talk  to  their  mothers 
like  that,"  said  the  elder  woman  severely. 

"  They   have   different   sorts   of   mothers,"    said 

.[164] 


IN    LIMEHOUSE    REACH 

Nancy,  serenely  turning  over  a  page.  "  I  hate  little 
pokey  ships  and  sailors  smelling  of  tar.  I  never  saw 
a  sailor  I  liked  yet." 

The  mate's  face  fell.  "  There 's  sailors  and 
sailors,"  he  suggested  humbly. 

"  It 's  no  good  talking  to  her,"  said  the  mother, 
with  a  look  of  fat  resignation  on  her  face,  "  we  can 
only  let  her  go  her  own  way;  if  you  talked  to  her 
twenty-four  hours  right  off  it  would  n't  do  her  any 
good." 

"  I  'd  like  to  try,"  said  the  mate,  plucking  up 
spirit. 

"Would  you?"  said  the  girl,  for  the  first  time 
raising  her  head  and  looking  him  full  in  the  face. 
"  Impudence!  " 

"  Perhaps  you  have  n't  seen  many  ships,"  said  the 
impressionable  mate,  his  eyes  devouring  her  face. 
"  Would  you  like  to  come  and  have  a  look  at  our 
cabin?" 

"  No,  thanks !  "  said  the  girl  sharply.  Then  she 
smiled  maliciously.  "  I  daresay  mother  would, 
though ;  she  's  fond  of  poking  her  nose  into  other 
people's  business." 

The  mother  regarded  her  irreverent  offspring 
fixedly  for  a  few  moments.  The  mate  interposed. 

"  I  should  be  very  pleased  to  show  you  over, 
ma'am,"  he  said  politely. 

The  mother  hesitated ;  then  she  rose,  and  accept- 
ing the  mate's  assistance,  clambered  on  to  the  side 
of  the  steamer,  and,  supported  by  his  arms,  sprang 
to  the  deck  and  followed  him  below. 

"  Very  nice,"  she  said,  nodding  approvingly,  as 
the  mate  did  the  honours.     "  Very  nice." 
[165] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  It 's  nice  and  roomy  for  a  little  craft  like  ours," 
said  the  mate,  as  he  drew  a  stone  bottle  from  a  locker 
and  poured  out  a  couple  of  glasses  of  stout.  "  Try  a 
little  beer,  ma'am." 

"  What  you  must  think  o'  that  girl  o'  mine  I 
can't  think,"  murmured  the  lady,  taking  a  modest 
draught. 

"  The  young,"  said  the  mate,  who  had  not  quite 
reached  his  twenty-fifth  year,  "  are  often  like  that" 

"  It  spoils  her,"  said  her  mother.  "  She  's  a  good- 
looking  girl,  too,  in  her  way." 

"  I  don't  see  how  she  can  help  being  that,"  said 
the  mate. 

"  Oh,  get  away  with  you,"  said  the  lady  pleas- 
antly. "  She  '11  get  fat  like  me  as  she  gets  older." 

"  She  could  n't  do  better,"  said  the  mate  tenderly. 

"  Nonsense,"  said  the  lady,  smiling. 

"  You  're  as  like  as  two  peas,"  persisted  the  mate. 
"  I  made  sure  you  were  sisters  when  I  saw  you 
first." 

"You  ain't  the  first  that's  thought  that,"  said 
the  other,  laughing  softly ;  "  not  by  a  lot." 

"  I  like  to  see  ladies  about,"  said  the  mate,  who 
was  trying  desperately  for  a  return  invitation.  "  I 
wish  you  could  always  sit  there.  You  quite  brighten 
the  cabin  up." 

"  You  're  a  flatterer,"  said  his  visitor,  as  he  re- 
plenished her  glass,  and  showed  so  little  signs  of 
making  a  move  that  the  mate,  making  a  pretext  of 
seeing  the  engineer,  hurried  up  on  deck  to  singe 
his  wings  once  more. 

"Still    reading?"    he   said   softly,    as    he   came 
abreast  of  the  girl.     "  All  about  love,  I  s'pose." 
[166] 


IN    LOIEHOUSE    REACH 

"  Have  you  left  my  mother  down  there  all  by 
herself  ?  "  inquired  the  girl  abruptly. 

"  Just  a  minute,"  said  the  mate,  somewhat  crest- 
fallen. "  I  just  came  up  to  see  the  engineer/' 

"  Well,  he  is  n't  here,"  was  the  discouraging  reply. 

The  mate  waited  a  minute  or  two,  the  girl  still 
reading  quietly,  and  then  walked  back  to  the  cabin. 
The  sound  of  gentle  regular  breathing  reached  his 
ears,  and,  stepping  softly,  he  saw  to  his  joy  that 
his  visitor  slept. 

"  She  's  asleep,"  said  he,  going  back,  "  and  she 
looks  so  comfortable  I  don't  think  I  '11  wake  her." 

"  I  should  n't  advise  you  to,"  said  the  girl ;  "  she 
always  wakes  up  cross." 

"  How  strange  we  should  run  up  against  each 
other  like  this,"  said  the  mate  sentimentally ;  "  it 
looks  like  Providence,  does  n't  it  ?  " 

"  Looks  like  carelessness,"  said  the  girl. 

"  I  don't  care,"  replied  the  mate.  "  I  'm  glad  I 
did  let  that  line  go  overboard.  Best  day's  work  I 
ever  did.  I  should  n't  have  seen  you  if  I  had  n't." 

"  And  I  don't  suppose  you  '11  ever  see  me  again," 
said  the  girl  comfortably,  "  so  I  don't  see  what  good 
you  've  done  yourself." 

"  I  shall  run  down  to  Limehouse  every  time  we  're 
in  port,  anyway,"  said  the  mate;  "it'll  be  odd  if 
I  don't  see  you  sometimes.  I  daresay  our  craft  '11 
pass  each  other  sometimes.  Perhaps  in  the  night," 
he  added  gloomily. 

"  I  shall  sit  up  all  night  watching  for  you,"  de- 
clared Miss  Jansell  untruthfully. 

In  this  cheerful  fashion  the  conversation  pro- 
ceeded, the  girl,  who  was  by  no  means  insensible 
1 167] 


MANY    CARGOES 

i  4B 

to  his  bright  eager  face  and  well-knit  figure,  divid- 
ing her  time  in  the  ratio  of  three  parts  to  her 
book  and  one  to  him.  Time  passed  all  too  soon  for 
the  mate,  when  they  were  interrupted  by  a  series  of 
hoarse  unintelligible  roars  proceeding  from  the 
schooner's  cabin. 

"  That 's  father,"  said  Miss  Jansell,  rising  with 
a  celerity  which  spoke  well  for  the  discipline  main- 
tained on  the  Aquila;  "  he  wants  me  to  mend  his 
waistcoat  for  him." 

She  put  down  her  book  and  left,  the  mate  watch- 
ing her  until  she  disappeared  down  the  companion- 
way.  Then  he  sat  down  and  waited. 

One  by  one  the  crew  returned  to  the  steamer, 
but  the  schooner's  deck  showed  no  signs  of  life. 
Then  the  skipper  came,  and,  having  peered  critically 
over  his  vessel's  side,  gave  orders  to  get  under  way. 

"If  she  'd  only  come  up,"  said  the  miserable 
mate  to  himself,  "  I  'd  risk  it,  and  ask  whether  I 
might  write  to  her." 

This  chance  of  imperilling  a  promising  career 
did  not  occur,  however;  the  steamer  slowly  edged 
away  from  the  schooner,  and,  picking  her  way  be- 
tween a  tier  of  lighters,  steamed  slowly  into  clearer 
water. 

"  Full  speed  ahead !  "  roared  the  skipper  down 
the  tube. 

The  engineer  responded,  and  the  mate  gazed  in 
a  melancholy  fashion  at  the  water  as  it  rapidly 
widened  between  the  two  vessels.  Then  his  face 
brightened  up  suddenly  as  the  girl  ran  up  on  deck 
and  waved  her  hand.  Hardly  able  to  believe  his 
eyes,  he  waved  his  back.  The  girl  gesticulated  vio- 
£168] 


IN    LIMEHOUSE    REACH 

lently,  now  pointing  to  the  steamer,  and  then  to 
the  schooner. 

"  By  Jove,  that  girl 's  taken  a  fancy  to  you,"  said 
the  skipper.  "  She  wants  you  to  go  back." 

The  mate  sighed.  "  Seems  like  it,"  he  said 
modestly. 

To  his  astonishment  the  girl  was  now  joined  by 
her  men  folk,  who  also  waved  hearty  farewells,  and, 
throwing  their  arms  about,  shouted  incoherently. 

"  Blamed  if  they  have  n't  all  took  a  fancy  to  you," 
said  the  puzzled  skipper ;  "  the  old  man  's  got  the 
speaking-trumpet  now.  What  does  he  say  ?  " 

"  Something  about  life,  I  think,"  said  the  mate. 

"  They  're  more  like  jumping-jacks  than  anything 
else,"  said  the  skipper.  "  Just  look  at  'em." 

The  mate  looked,  and,  as  the  distance  increased, 
sprang  on  to  the  side,  and,  his  eyes  dim  with  emo- 
tion, waved  tender  farewells.  If  it  had  not  been 
for  the  presence  of  the  skipper  —  a  tremendous 
stickler  for  decorum  —  he  would  have  kissed  his 
hand. 

It  was  not  until  Gravesend  was  passed,  and  the 
sidelights  of  the  shipping  were  trying  to  show  in 
the  gathering  dusk,  that  he  awoke  from  his  tender 
apathy.  It  is  probable  that  it  would  have  lasted 
longer  than  that  but  for  a  sudden  wail  of  anguish 
and  terror  which  proceeded  from  the  cabin  and  rang 
out  on  the  still  warm  air. 

"  Sakes  alive ! "  said  the  skipper,  starting ;  "  what 's 
that?" 

Before  the  mate  could  reply,  the  companion  was 
pushed  back,  and  a  middle-aged  woman,  labouring 
under  strong  excitement,  appeared  on  deck. 

[169] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"You  villain!"  she  screamed  excitably,  rushing 
up  to  the  mate.  "  Take  me  back ;  take  me  back !  " 

"  What 's  all  this,  Harry?  "  demanded  the  skipper 
sternly. 

"  He — he — he — asked  me  to  go  into  the  cab  — • 
cabin,"  sobbed  Mrs.  Jansell,  "  and  sent  me  to  sleep, 
and  too  —  too  —  took  me  away.  My  husband  '11 
kill  me;  I  know  he  will.  Take  me  back." 

"  What  do  you  want  to  be  took  back  to  be  killed 
for  ?  "  interposed  one  of  the  men  judicially. 

"  I  might  ha'  known  what  he  meant  when  he 
said  I  brightened  the  cabin  up,"  said  Mrs.  Jansell; 
"  and  when  he  said  he  thought  me  and  my  daughter 
were  sisters.  He  said  he  'd  like  me  to  sit  there 
always,  the  wretch!" 

"  Did  you  say  that  ?  "  inquired  the  skipper  fiercely. 

"Well,  I  did,"  said  the  miserable  mate;  "but  I 
did  n't  mean  her  to  take  it  that  way.  She  went  to 
sleep,  and  I  forgot  all  about  her." 

"What  did  you  say  such  silly  lies  for,  then?" 
demanded  the  skipper. 

The  mate  hung  his  head. 

"  Old  enough  to  be  your  mother  too,"  said  the 
skipper  severely.  "  Here  's  a  nice  thing  to  happen 
aboard  my  ship,  and  afore  the  boy  too ! " 

"  Blast  the  boy !  "  said  the  goaded  mate. 

"  Take  me  back,"  wailed  Mrs.  Jansell ;  "  you  don't 
know  how  jealous  my  husband  is." 

"  He  won't  hurt  you,"  said  the  skipper  kindly ; 
"  he  won't  be  jealous  of  a  woman  your  time  o'  life; 
that  is,  not  if  he  's  got  any  sense.  You  '11  have  to 
go  as  far  as  Boston  with  us  now.  I  've  lost  too 
much  time  already  to  go  back." 
[170] 


IN    LIMEHOUSE    REACH 

"  You  must  take  me  back,"  said  Mrs.  Jansell 
passionately. 

"  I  'm  not  going  back  for  anybody,"  said  the 
skipper.  "  But  you  can  make  your  mind  quite  easy : 
you  're  as  safe  aboard  my  ship  as  what  you  would 
be  alone  on  a  raft  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic; 
and  as  for  the  mate,  he  was  only  chaffing  you. 
Was  n't  you,  Harry  ?  " 

The  mate  made  some  reply,  but  neither  Mrs. 
Jansell,  the  skipper,  nor  the  men,  who  were  all 
listening  eagerly,  caught  it,  and  his  unfortunate 
victim,  accepting  the  inevitable,  walked  to  the  side 
of  the  ship  and  gazed  disconsolately  astern. 

It  was  not  until  the  following  morning  that  the 
mate,  who  had  received  orders  to  mess  for'ard,  saw 
her,  and  ignoring  the  fact  that  everybody  sus- 
pended work  to  listen,  walked  up  and  bade  her 
good  morning. 

"  Harry,"  said  the  skipper  warningly. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  mate  shortly.  "  I  want  to 
speak  to  you  very  particularly,"  he  said  nervously, 
and  led  his  listener  aft,  followed  by  three  of  the 
crew  who  came  to  clean  the  brasswork,  and  who 
listened  mutinously  when  they  were  ordered  to  defer 
unwonted  industry  to  a  more  fitting  time.  The 
deck  clear,  the  mate  began,  and  in  a  long  rambling 
statement,  which  Mrs.  Jansell  at  first  thought  the 
ravings  of  lunacy,  acquainted  her  with  the  real  state 
of  his  feelings. 

"  I  never  did ! "  said  she,  when  he  had  fin- 
ished. "Never!  Why,  you  hadn't  seen  her  be- 
fore yesterday." 

"  Of  course  I  shall  take  you  back  by  train,"  said 


MANY    CARGOES 

fc 

the  mate,  "  and  tell  your  husband  how  sorry  I 
am." 

"  I  might  have  suspected  something  when  you 
said  all  those  nice  things  to  me,"  said  the  mollified 
lady.  "  Well,  you  must  take  your  chance,  like  all 
the  rest  of  them.  She  can  only  say  '  No,'  again. 
It  '11  explain  this  affair  better,  that 's  one  thing ; 
but  I  expect  they  '11  laugh  at  you." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  the  mate  stoutly.  "  You  're 
on  my  side,  ain't  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Jansell  laughed,  and  the  mate,  having  suc- 
ceeded beyond  his  hopes  in  the  establishment  of 
amicable  relations,  went  about  his  duties  with  a 
light  heart. 

By  the  time  they  reached  Boston  the  morning  was 
far  advanced,  and  after  the  Gem  was  comfortably 
berthed  he  obtained  permission  of  the  skipper  to 
accompany  the  fair  passenger  to  London,  beguiling 
the  long  railway  journey  by  every  means  in  his 
power.  Despite  his  efforts,  however,  the  jour- 
ney began  to  pall  upon  his  companion,  and  it  was 
not  until  evening  was  well  advanced  that  they 
found  themselves  in  the  narrow  streets  of  Lime- 
house. 

"  We  '11  see  how  the  land  lies  first,"  said  he,  as 
they  approached  the  wharf  and  made  their  way 
cautiously  on  to  the  quay. 

The  Aquila  was  still  alongside,  and  the  mate's 
heart  thumped  violently  as  he  saw  the  cause  of  all 
the  trouble  sitting  alone  on  the  deck.  She  rose 
with  a  little  start  as  her  mother  stepped  carefully 
aboard,  and,  running  to  her,  kissed  her  affection- 
ately, and  sat  her  down  on  the  hatches. 


IN    LIMEHOUSE    REACH 

"  Poor  mother,"  she  said  caressingly.  "  What 
did  you  bring  that  lunatic  back  with  you  for?" 

"He  would  come,"  said  Mrs.  Jansell.  "Hush! 
here  comes  your  father." 

The  master  of  the  Aquila  came  on  deck  as  she 
spoke,  and  walking  slowly  up  to  the  group,  stood 
sternly  regarding  them.  Under  his  gaze  the  mate 
breathlessly  reeled  off  his  tale,  noticing  with  some- 
what mixed  feelings  the  widening  grin  of  his  listener 
as  he  proceeded. 

"  Well,  you  're  a  lively  sort  o'  man,"  said  the 
skipper  as  he  finished.  "  In  one  day  you  tie  up 
your  own  ship,  run  off  with  my  wife,  and  lose  us 
a  tide.  Are  you  always  like  that?" 

"  I  want  somebody  to  look  after  me,  I  s'pose," 
said  the  mate,  with  a  side  glance  at  Nancy. 

"  Well,  we  'd  put  you  up  for  the  night,"  said  the 
skipper,  with  his  arm  round  his  wife's  shoulders; 
"  but  you  're  such  a  chap.  I  'm  afraid  you  'd  burn 
the  ship  down,  or  something.  What  do  you  think, 
old  girl?" 

"  I  think  we  '11  try  him  this  once,"  said  his  wife. 
"  And  now  I  '11  go  down  and  see  about  supper ;  I 
want  it." 

The  old  couple  went  below,  and  the  young  one 
remained  on  deck.  Nancy  went  and  leaned  against 
the  side;  and  as  she  appeared  to  have  quite  for- 
gotten his  presence,  the  mate,  after  some  hesitation, 
joined  her. 

"  Had  n't  you  better  go  down  and  get  some  sup- 
per? "  she  asked. 

"  I  'd  sooner  stay  here,  if  you  don't  mind," 
said  the  mate.  "  I  like  watching  the  lights 


MANY    CARGOES 

t 

going  up  and  down;  I  could  stay  here  for 
hours." 

"I'll  leave  you,  then,"  said  the  girl;  "I'm 
hungry." 

She  tripped  lightly  off  with  a  smothered  laugh, 
leaving  the  fairly-trapped  man  gazing  indignantly 
at  the  lights  which  had  lured  him  to  destruction. 

From  below  he  heard  the  cheerful  clatter  of 
crockery,  accompanied  by  a  savoury  incense,  and 
talk  and  laughter.  He  imagined  the  girl  making 
fun  of  his  sentimental  reasons  for  staying  on  deck; 
but,  too  proud  to  meet  her  ironical  glances,  stayed 
doggedly  where  he  was,  resolving  to  be  off  by  the 
first  train  in  the  morning.  He  was  roused  from 
his  gloom  by  a  slight  touch  on  his  arm,  and,  turn- 
ing sharply,  saw  the  girl  by  his  side. 

"  Supper  's  quite  ready,"  said  she  soberly.  "  And 
if  you  want  to  admire  the  lights  very  much,  come 
up  and  see  them  when  I  do  —  after  supper." 


H74] 


AN   ELABORATE   ELOPEMENT 

I  HAVE  always  had  a  slight  suspicion  that  the 
following  narrative  is  not  quite  true.  It  was 
related  to  me  by  an  old  seaman  who,  among 
other  incidents  of  a  somewhat  adventurous  career, 
claimed  to  have  received  Napoleon's  sword  at  the 
battle  of  Trafalgar,  and  a  wound  in  the  back  at 
Waterloo.  I  prefer  to  tell  it  in  my  own  way,  his 
being  so  garnished  with  nautical  terms  and  exple- 
tives as  to  be  half  unintelligible  and  somewhat  hor- 
rifying. Our  talk  had  been  of  love  and  courtship, 
and  after  making  me  a  present  of  several  tips,  in- 
vented by  himself,  and  considered  invaluable  by  his 
friends,  he  related  this  story  of  the  courtship  of  a 
chum  of  his  as  illustrating  the  great  lengths  to 
which  young  bloods  were  prepared  to  go  in  his 
days  to  attain  their  ends. 

It  was  a  fine  clear  day  in  June  when  Hezekiah 
Lewis,  captain  and  part  owner  of  the  schooner 
Thames,  bound  from  London  to  Aberdeen,  anchored 
off  the  little  out-of-the-way  town  of  Orford  in 
Suffolk.  Among  other  antiquities,  the  town  pos- 
sessed Hezekiah's  widowed  mother,  and  when  there 
was  no  very  great  hurry  —  the  world  went  slower 
in  those  days  —  the  dutiful  son  used  to  go  ashore 
in  the  ship's  boat,  and  after  a  filial  tap  at  his 
mother's  window,  which  often  startled  the  old  wo- 

[1751 


MANY    CARGOES 

man  considerably,  pass  on  his  way  to  see  a  young 
lady  to  whom  he  had  already  proposed  five  times 
without  effect. 

The  mate  and  crew  of  the  schooner,  seven  all 
told,  drew  up  in  a  little  knot  as. the  skipper,  in  his 
shore-going  clothes,  appeared  on  deck,  and  regarded 
him  with  an  air  of  grinning,  mysterious  interest. 

"  Now  you  all  know  what  you  have  got  to  do?  " 
queried  the  skipper. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  replied  the  crew,  grinning  still  more 
deeply. 

Hezekiah  regarded  them  closely,  and  then  order- 
ing the  boat  to  be  lowered,  scrambled  over  the  side, 
and  was  pulled  swiftly  towards  the  shore. 

A  sharp  scream,  and  a  breathless  "  Lawk-a-mussy 
me !  "  as  he  tapped  at  his  mother's  window,  assured 
him  that  the  old  lady  was  alive  and  well,  and  he 
continued  on  his  way  until  he  brought  up  at  a  small 
but  pretty  house  in  the  next  road. 

"  Morning,  Mr.  Rumbolt,"  said  he  heartily  to 
a  stout,  red-faced  man,  who  sat  smoking  in  the 
doorway. 

"  Morning,  cap'n,  morning,"  said  the  red- faced 
man. 

"  Is  the  rheumatism  any  better  ?  "  inquired  Heze- 
kiah anxiously,  as  he  grasped  the  other's  huge  hand. 

"  So,  so,"  said  the  other.  "  But  it  ain't  the  rheu- 
matism so  much  what  troubles  me,"  he  resumed, 
lowering  his  voice,  and  looking  round  cautiously. 
"  It 's  Kate." 

"  What  ?  "  said  the  skipper. 
'  You  've   heard   of  a  man  being   henpecked  ?  " 
continued  Mr.  Rumbolt,  in  tones  of  husky  confidence. 
[176] 


AN    ELABORATE    ELOPEMENT 

The  captain  nodded. 

"  I  'm  chick-pecked,"  murmured  the  other. 

"  What? "  inquired  the  astonished  mariner 
again. 

"  Chick-pecked,"  repeatea  Mr.  Rumbolt  firmly. 
"  CHIK-PEKED.  D'ye  understand  me?" 

The  captain  said  that  he  did,  and  stood  silent 
awhile,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  wants  to  say  some- 
thing, but  is  half  afraid  to.  At  last,  with  a  desperate 
appearance  of  resolution,  he  bent  down  to  the  old 
man's  ear. 

"That's  the  deaf  'un,"  said  Mr.  Rumbolt 
promptly. 

Hezekiah  changed  ears,  speaking  at  first  slowly 
and  awkwardly,  but  becoming  more  fluent  as  he 
warmed  with  his  subject;  while  the  expression  of 
his  listener's  face  gradually  changed  from  incredu- 
lous bewilderment  to  one  of  uncontrollable  mirth. 
He  became  so  uproarious  that  he  was  fain  to  push 
the  captain  away  from  him,  and  lean  back  in  his 
chair  and  choke  and  laugh  until  he  nearly  lost  his 
breath,  at  which  crisis  a  remarkably  pretty  girl  ap- 
peared from  the  back  of  the  house,  and  patted  him 
with  hearty  good  will. 

"That'll  do,  my  dear,"  said  the  choking  Mr. 
Rumbolt.  "  Here  's  Captain  Lewis." 

"  I  can  see  him,"  said  his  daughter  calmly. 
"  What 's  he  standing  on  one  leg  for?  " 

The  skipper,  who  really  was  standing  in  a  some- 
what constrained  attitude,  coloured  violently,  and 
planted  both  feet  firmly  on  the  ground. 

"  Being  as  I  was  passing  close  in,  Miss  Rumbolt," 
said  he,  "  and  coming  ashore  to  see  mother  "  • 

12  [  177  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

To  the  captain's  discomfort,  manifestations  of  a 
further  attack  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Rumbolt  appeared, 
but  were  promptly  quelled  by  the  daughter. 

"  Mother  ?  "  she  repeated  encouragingly. 

"  I  thought  I  'd  come  on  and  ask  you  just  to  pay 
a  sort  o'  flying  visit  to  the  Thames." 

"  Thank  you,  I  'm  comfortable  enough  where  I 
am,"  said  the  girl. 

"  I  've  got  a  couple  of  monkeys  and  a  bear  aboard, 
which  I  'm  taking  to  a  menagerie  in  Aberdeen,"  con- 
tinued the  captain,  "  and  the  thought  struck  me  you 
might  possibly  like  to  see  'em." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,"  said  the  damsel  in  a  flutter. 
"Is  it  a  big  bear?" 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  an  elephant  ?  "  inquired 
Hezekiah  cautiously. 

"  Only  in  pictures,"  replied  the  girl. 

"  Well,  it 's  as  big  as  that,  nearly,"  said  he. 

The  temptation  was  irresistible,  and  Miss  Rum- 
bolt,  telling  her  father  that  she  should  not  be  long, 
disappeared  into  the  house  in  search  of  her  hat  and 
jacket,  and  ten  minutes  later  the  brawny  rowers 
were  gazing  their  fill  into  her  deep  blue  eyes  as  she 
sat  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and  told  Lewis  to  behave 
himself. 

It  was  but  a  short  pull  out  to  the  schooner,  and 
Miss  Rumbolt  was  soon  on  the  deck,  lavishing 
endearments  on  the  monkey,  and  energetically 
prodding  the  bear  with  a  handspike  to  make 
him  growl.  The  noise  of  the  offended  animal  as 
he  strove  to  get  through  the  bars  of  his  cage 
was  terrific,  and  the  girl  was  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  it,  when  she  became  aware  of  a  louder  noise 
I  178  } 


AN   ELABORATE   ELOPEMENT 

still,  and,  turning  round,  saw  the  seamen  at  the 
windlass. 

"Why,  what  are  they  doing?"  she  demanded, 
"  getting  up  anchor?  " 

"Ahoy,  there !"  shouted  Hezekiah  sternly.  "  What 
are  you  doing  with  that  windlass  ?  " 

As  he  spoke,  the  anchor  peeped  over  the  edge  of 
the  bows,  and  one  of  the  seamen  running  past  them 
took  the  helm. 

"  Now  then,"  shouted  the  fellow,  "  stand  by.  Look 
lively  there  with  them  sails." 

Obeying  a  light  touch  of  the  helm,  the  schooner's 
bowsprit  slowly  swung  round  from  the  land,  and  the 
crew,  hauling  lustily  on  the  ropes,  began  to  hoist  the 
sails. 

"  What  the  devil  are  you  up  to  ?  "  thundered  the 
skipper.  "  Have  you  all  gone  mad  ?  What  does  it 
all  mean?" 

"  It  means,"  said  one  of  the  seamen,  whose  fat, 
amiable  face  was  marred  by  a  fearful  scowl,  "  that 
We  've  got  a  new  skipper." 

"Good  heavens,  a  mutiny !"  exclaimed  the  skipper, 
starting  melodramatically  against  the  cage,  and 
starting  hastily  away  again.  "  Where 's  the  mate?  " 

"  He  's  with  us,"  said  another  seaman,  brandish- 
ing his  sheath  knife,  and  scowling  fearfully.  "  He  's 
our  new  captain." 

In  confirmation  of  this  the  mate  now  appeared 
from  below  with  an  axe  in  his  hand,  and,  approach- 
ing his  captain,  roughly  ordered  him  below. 

"  I  '11  defend  this  lady  with  my  life,"  cried  Heze- 
kiah, taking  the  handspike  from  Kate,  and  raising 
it  above  his  head. 

[179] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Nobody  '11  hurt  a  hair  of  her  beautiful  head," 
said  the  mate,  with  a  tender  smile. 

"  Then  I  yield,"  said  the  skipper,  drawing  himself 
up,  and  delivering  the  handspike  with  the  air  of  a 
defeated  admiral  tendering  his  sword. 

"  Good,"  said  the  mate  briefly,  as  one  of  the  men 
took  it. 

"What!"  demanded  Miss  Rumbolt  excitedly, 
"  are  n't  you  going  to  fight  them  ?  Here,  give  me 
the  handspike." 

Before  the  mate  could  interfere,  the  sailor,  with 
thoughtless  obedience,  handed  it  over,  and  Miss 
Rumbolt  at  once  tried  to  knock  him  over  the  head. 
Being  thwarted  in  this  design  by  the  man  taking 
flight,  she  lost  her  temper  entirely,  and  bore  down 
like  a  hurricane  on  the  remaining  members  of  the 
crew  who  were  just  approaching. 

They  scattered  at  once,  and  ran  up  the  rigging  like 
cats,  and  for  a  few  moments  the  girl  held  the  deck ; 
then  the  mate  crept  up  behind  her,  and  with  the  air 
of  a  man  whose  job  exactly  suited  him,  clasped  her 
tightly  round  the  waist,  while  one  of  the  seamen  dis- 
armed her. 

"  You  must  both  go  below  till  we  've  settled  what 
to  do  with  you,"  said  the  mate,  reluctantly  releasing 
her. 

With  a  wistful  glance  at  the  handspike,  the  girl 
walked  to  the  cabin,  followed  slowly  by  the  skipper. 

"  This  is  a  bad  business,"  said  the  latter,  shaking 
his  head  solemnly,  as  the  indignant  Miss  Rumbolt 
seated  herself. 

"  Don't  talk  to  me,  you  coward !  "  said  the  girl 
energetically. 

[180] 


AN    ELABORATE    ELOPEMENT 

The  skipper  started. 

"  /  made  three  of  'em  run/'  said  Miss  Rum- 
bolt,  "  and  you  did  nothing.  You  just  stood  still, 
and  let  them  take  the  ship.  I  'm  ashamed  of 
you," 

The  skipper's  defence  was  interrupted  by  a  hoarse 
voice  shouting  to  them  to  come  on  deck,  where  they 
found  the  mutinous  crew  gathered  aft  round  the 
mate.  The  girl  cast  a  look  at  the  shore,  which  was 
now  dim  and  indistinct,  and  turned  somewhat  pale 
as  the  serious  nature  of  her  position  forced  itself 
upon  her. 

"  Lewis,"  said  the  mate. 

"  Well,"  growled  the  skipper. 

"  This  ship  's  going  in  the  lace  and  brandy  trade, 
and  if  so  be  as  you  're  sensible  you  can  go  with  it 
as  mate,  d'  ye  hear?" 

"  An'  s'pose  I  do ;  what  about  the  lady  ?  "  in- 
quired the  captain. 

"  You  and  the  lady  '11  have  to  get  spliced,"  said 
the  mate  sternly.  "  Then  there  '11  be  no  tales  told. 
A  Scotch  marriage  is  as  good  as  any,  and  we  '11  just 
lay  off  and  put  you  ashore,  and  you  can  get  tied  up 
as  right  as  ninepence." 

"Marry  a  coward  like  that?"  demanded  Miss 
Rumbolt,  with  spirit ;  "  not  if  I  know  it.  Why,  I  'd 
sooner  marry  that  old  man  at  the  helm." 

"  Old  Bill 's  got  three  wives  a'ready  to  my  sartin 
knowledge,"  spoke  up  one  of  the  sailors.  "  The 
lady  's  got  to  marry  Cap'n  Lewis,  so  don't  let 's  have 
no  fuss  about  it." 

"  I  won't,"  said  the  lady,  stamping  violently. 

The  mutineers  appeared  to  be  in  a  dilemma,  and, 
[181] 


MANY    CARGOES 

following  the  example  of  the  mate,  scratched  their 
heads  thoughtfully. 

"  We  thought  you  liked  him,"  said  the  mate,  at 
last,  feebly. 

"  You  had  no  business  to  think,"  said  Miss  Rum- 
bolt.  "  You  are  bad  men,  and  you  '11  all  be  hung, 
every  one  of  you ;  I  shall  come  and  see  it." 

"  The  cap'n  's  welcome  to  her  for  me,"  murmured 
the  helmsman  in  a  husky  whisper  to  the  man  next 
to  him.  "  The  vixen !  " 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  mate.  "  If  you  won't,  you 
won't.  This  end  of  the  ship  '11  belong  to  you  after 
eight  o'clock  of  a  night.  Lewis,  you  must  go  for'ard 
with  the  men." 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  after?  " 
inquired  the  fair  prisoner. 

The  seven  men  shrugged  their  shoulders  help- 
lessly, and  Hezekiah,  looking  depressed,  lit  his  pipe, 
and  went  and  leaned  over  the  side. 

The  day  passed  quietly.  The  orders  were  given 
by  the  mate,  and  Hezekiah  lounged  moodily  about, 
a  prisoner  at  large.  At  eight  o'clock  Miss  Rumbolt 
was  given  the  key  of  the  state-room,  and  the  men 
who  were  not  in  the  watch  went  below. 

The  morning  broke  fine  and  clear  with  a  light 
breeze,  which,  towards  mid-day,  dropped  entirely, 
and  the  schooner  lay  rocking  lazily  on  a  sea  of  glassy 
smoothness.  The  sun  beat  fiercely  down,  bringing 
the  fresh  paint  on  the  taffrail  up  in  blisters,  and 
sorely  trying  the  tempers  of  the  men  who  were  doing 
odd  jobs  on  deck. 

The  cabin,  where  the  two  victims  of  a  mutinous 
crew  had  retired  for  coolness,  got  more  and  more 
[182] 


AN    ELABORATE    ELOPEMENT 

stuffy,  until  at  length  even  the  scorching  deck 
seemed  preferable,  and  the  girl,  with  a  faint  hope  of 
finding  a  shady  corner,  went  languidly  up  the  com- 
panion-ladder. 

For  some  time  the  skipper  sat  alone,  pondering 
gloomily  over  the  state  of  affairs  as  he  smoked  his 
short  pipe.  He  was  aroused  at  length  from  his 
apathy  by  the  sound  of  the  companion  being  noisily 
closed,  while  loud  frightened  cries  and  hurrying 
footsteps  on  deck  announced  that  something  extraor- 
dinary was  happening.  As  he  rose  to  his  feet  he  was 
confronted  by  Kate  Rumbolt,  who,  panting  and  ex- 
cited, waved  a  big  key  before  him. 

"  I  Ve  done  it,"  she  cried,  her  eyes  sparkling. 

"  Done  what  ?  "  shouted  the  mystified  skipper. 

"Let  the  bear  loose,"  said  the  girl.  "Ha,  ha! 
you  should  have  seen  them  run.  You  should  have 
seen  the  fat  sailor !  " 

"  Let  the  —  phew  —  let  the Good  heavens ! 

here  's  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish ! "  he  choked. 

"  Listen  to  them  shouting,"  cried  the  exultant 
Kate,  clapping  her  hands.  "  Just  listen." 

"  Those  shouts  are  from  aloft,"  said  Hezekiah 
sternly,  "  where  you  and  I  ought  to  be." 

"  I  've  closed  the  companion,"  said  the  girl  re- 
assuringly. 

"  Closed  the  companion !  "  repeated  Hezekiah,  as 
he  drew  his  knife.  "  He  can  smash  it  like  cardboard, 
if  the  fit  takes  him.  Go  in  here." 

He  opened  the  door  of  his  state-room. 

"Shan't!"  said  Miss  Rumbolt  politely. 

"  Go  in  at  once !  "  cried  the  skipper.  "  Quick  with 
you." 

[183] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Sha —  "  began  Miss  Rumbolt  again.  Then  she 
caught  his  eye,  and  went  in  like  a  lamb.  "  You  come 
too,"  she  said  prettily. 

"  I  've  got  to  look  after  my  ship  and  my  men," 
said  the  skipper.  "  I  suppose  you  thought  the  ship 
would  steer  itself,  did  n't  you?  " 

"  Mutineers  deserve  to  be  eaten,"  whimpered  Miss 
Rumbolt  piously,  somewhat  taken  aback  by  the  skip- 
per's demeanour. 

Hezekiah  looked  at  her. 

"  They  're  not  mutineers,  Kate,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  It  was  just  a  piece  of  mad  folly  of  mine.  They  're 
as  honest  a  set  of  old  sea  dogs  as  ever  breathed,  and 
I  only  hope  they  are  all  safe  up  aloft.  I  'm  going  to 
lock  you  in;  but  don't  be  frightened,  it  shan't  hurt 
you." 

He  slammed  the  door  on  her  protests,  and  locked 
it,  and,  slipping  the  key  of  the  cage  in  his  pocket, 
took  a  firm  grip  of  his  knife,  and,  running  up  the 
steps,  gained  the  deck.  Then  his  breath  came  more 
freely,  for  the  mate,  who  was  standing  a  little  way 
up  the  fore  rigging,  after  tempting  the  bear  with  his 
foot,  had  succeeded  in  dropping  a  noose  over  its 
head.  The  brute  made  a  furious  attempt  to  extricate 
itself,  but  the  men  hurried  down  with  other  lines, 
and  in  a  short  space  of  time  the  bear  presented  much 
the  same  appearance  as  the  lion  in  JEsop's  Fables, 
and  was  dragged  and  pushed,  a  heated  and  indignant 
mass  of  fur,  back  to  its  cage. 

Having  locked  up  one  prisoner  the  skipper  went 

below  and  released  the  other,  who  passed  quickly 

from  a   somewhat   hysterical   condition   to  one  of 

such  haughty  disdain  that  the  captain  was  thor- 

[184] 


AN    ELABORATE    ELOPEMENT 

©ughly  cowed,  and  stood  humbly  aside  to  le\  her 
pass. 

The  fat  seaman  was  standing  in  front  of  the  cage 
as  she  reached  it,  and  regarding  the  bear  with  much 
satisfaction  until  Kate  sidled  up  to  him,  and  begged 
him,  as  a  personal  favour,  to  go  in  the  cage  and 
undo  it. 

"  Undo  it !  Why  he  'd  kill  me !  "  gasped  the  fat 
seaman,  aghast  at  such  simplicity. 

"  I  don't  think  he  would,"  said  his  tormentor,  with 
a  bewitching  smile;  "  and  I  '11  wear  a  lock  of  your 
hair  all  my  life  if  you  do.  But  you  'd  better  give  it 
to  me  before  you  go  in." 

"  I  ain't  going  in,"  said  the  fat  sailor  shortly. 

"  Not  for  me?  "  queried  Kate  archly. 

"  Not  for  fifty  like  you,"  replied  the  old  man 
firmly.  "  He  nearly  had  me  when  he  was  loose.  I 
can't  think  how  he  got  out." 

"  Why,  I  let  him  out,1'  said  Miss  Rumbolt  airily. 
"  Just  for  a  little  run.  How  would  you  like  to  be 
shut  up  all  day?  " 

The  sailor  was  just  going  to  tell  her  with  more 
fluency  than  politeness  when  he  was  interrupted. 

"  That  '11  do,"  said  the  skipper,  who  had  come 
behind  them.  "  Go  for  ard,  you.  There  's  been 
enough  of  this  fooling;  the  lady  thought  you  had 
taken  the  ship.  Thompson,  I  '11  take  the  helm ; 
there  's  a  little  wind  coming.  Stand  by  there." 

He  walked  aft  and  relieved  the  steersman,  awk- 
wardly conscious  that  the  men  were  becoming  more 
and  more  interested  in  the  situation,  and  also  that 
Kate  could  hear  some  of  their  remarks.  As  he  pon- 
dered over  the  subject,  and  tried  to  think  of  a  way 

[185] 


MANY    CARGOES 

out  of  it,  the  cause  of  all  the  trouble  came  and  stood 
by  him. 

"  Did  my  father  know. of  this?  "  she  inquired. 

"  I  don't  know  that  he  did  exactly,"  said  the  skip- 
per uneasily.  "  I  just  told  him  not  to  expect  you 
back  that  night." 

"  And  what  did  he  say?  "  said  she. 

"  Said  he  would  n't  sit  up,"  said  the  skipper, 
grinning,  despite  himself. 

Kate  drew  a  breath  the  length  of  which  boded 
no  good  to  her  parent,  and  looked  over  the 
side. 

"  I  was  afraid  of  that  traveller  chap  from  Ips- 
wich," said  Hezekiah,  after  a  pause.  "  Your  father 
told  me  he  was  hanging  round  you  again,  so  I 
thought  I  —  well,  I  was  a  blamed  fool  anyway." 

"  See  how  ridiculous  you  have  made  me  look  be- 
fore all  these  men,"  said  the  girl  angrily. 

"They've  been  with  me  for  years,"  said  Heze- 
kiah apologetically,  "  and  the  mate  said  it  was  a 
magnificent  idea.  He  quite  raved  about  it,  he  did. 
I  would  n't  have  done  it  with  some  crews,  but  we  've 
had  some  dirty  times  together,  and  they  've  stood  by 
me  well.  But  of  course  that 's  nothing  to  do  with 
you.  It 's  been  an  adventure  I  'm  very  sorry  for, 
very." 

"  A  pretty  safe  adventure  for  you,"  said  the  girl 
scornfully.  "  You  did  n't  risk  much.  Look  here, 
I  like  brave  men.  If  you  go  in  the  cage  and  undo 
that  bear,  I  '11  marry  you.  That 's  what  /  call  an 
adventure." 

"  Smith,"  called  the  skipper  quietly,  "  come  and 
take  the  helm  a  bit" 

[186] 


AN    ELABORATE    ELOPEMENT 

v 

The  seaman  obeyed,  and  Lewis,  accompanied  by 
the  girl,  walked  forward. 

At  the  bear's  cage  he  stopped,  and,  fumbling  in  his 
pocket  for  the  key,  steadily  regarded  the  brute  as  it 
lay  gnashing  its  teeth,  and  trying  in  vain  to  bite  the 
ropes  which  bound  it. 

"You're  afraid,"  said  the  girl  tauntingly;  "you're 
quite  white." 

The  captain  made  no  reply,  but  eyed  her  so  stead- 
ily that  her  gaze  fell.  He  drew  the  key  from  his 
pocket  and  inserted  it  in  the  huge  lock,  and  was  just 
turning  it,  when  a  soft  arm  was  drawn  through  his, 
and  a  soft  voice  murmured  sweetly  in  his  ear,  "Never 
mind  about  the  old  bear." 

And  he  did  not  mind. 


THE    COOK    OF   THE    "GANNET' 

"      /I   LL  ready  for  sea,  and  no  cook,"  said  the 

A-\  mate  of  the  schooner  Gannet,  gloomily. 
JL  jL.  "  What 's  become  of  all  the  cooks  I  can't 
think." 

"  They  most  on  'em  ship  as  mates  now,"  said  the 
skipper,  grinning.  "  But  you  need  n't  worry  about 
that ;  I  've  got  one  coming  aboard  to-night.  I  'm 
trying  a  new  experiment,  George." 

"  I  once  knew  a  chemist  who  tried  one,"  said 
George,  "  an'  it  blew  him  out  of  the  winder ;  but  I 
never  heard  o'  shipmasters  trying  'em." 

"  There  's  all  kinds  of  experiments,"  rejoined  the 
other.  "  What  do  you  say  to  a  lady  cook,  George?  " 

"  A  what?  "  asked  the  mate  in  tones  of  strong 
amazement.  "  What,  aboard  a  schooner  ?  " 

"  Why  not?  "  inquired  the  skipper  warmly;  "why 
not?  There's  plenty  of  'em  ashore  —  why  not 
aboard  ship  ?  " 

"  'T  ain't  proper,  for  one  thing,"  said  the  mate 
virtuously. 

"  I  should  n't  have  expected  you  to  have  thought 
o'  that,"  said  the  other  unkindly.  "  Besides,  they 
have  stewardesses  on  big  ships,  an'  what 's  the  differ- 
ence? She  's  a  sort  o'  relation  o'  mine,  too  —  cousin 
o'  my  wife's,  a  widder  woman,  and  a  good  sensible 
[188] 


THE    COOK    OF   THE    "GANNET* 

age,  an'  as  the  doctor  told  her  to  take  a  sea  voyage 
for  the  benefit  of  her  'elth,  she  's  coming  with  me  for 
six  months  as  cook.  She  '11  take  her  meals  with  us; 
but,  o'  course,  the  men  are  not  to  know  of  the 
relationship." 

"What  about  sleeping  accommodation?"  in- 
quired the  mate,  with  the  air  of  a  man  putting  a 
poser. 

"  I  've  thought  o'  that,"  replied  the  other;  "  it 's 
all  arranged." 

The  mate,  with  an  uncompromising  air,  waited 
for  information. 

"  She  —  she 's  to  have  your  berth,  George,"  con- 
tinued the  skipper,  without  looking  at  him.  "  You 
can  have  that  nice,  large,  airy  locker." 

"  One  what  the  biscuit  and  onions  kep'  in  ?  "  in- 
quired George.  \ 

The  skipper  nodded. 

"  I  think,  if  it 's  all  the  same  to  you,"  said  the 
mate,  with  laboured  politeness,  "  I  '11  wait  till  the 
butter  keg  's  empty,  and  crowd  into  that." 

"  It 's  no  use  your  making  yourself  unpleasant 
about  it,"  said  the  skipper,  "  not  a  bit.  The  arrange- 
ments are  made  now,  and  here  she  comes." 

Following  his  gaze,  the  mate  looked  up  as  a  stout, 
comely-looking  woman  of  middle  age  came  along  the 
jetty,  followed  by  the  watchman  staggering  under  a 
box  of  enormous  proportions. 

"  Jim !  "  cried  the  lady. 

"  Halloa !  "  cried  the  skipper,  starting  uneasily  at 
the  title.  "  We  've  been  expecting  you  for  some 
time."  ^  \ 

"  There  's  a  row  on  with  the  cabman,"  said  the 

r  isoi 


MANY    CARGOES 

lady  calmly.  "  This  silly  old  man  "  —  the  watch- 
man snorted  fiercely  —  "let  the  box  go  through  the 
window  getting  it  off  the  top,  and  the  cabman  wants 
me  to  pay.  He  's  out  there  using  language,  and  he 
keeps  calling  me  grandma  —  I  want  you  to  have 
him  locked  up." 

"  Come .  down  below  now,"  said  the  skipper; 
"  we  '11  see  about  the  cab.  Mrs.  Blossom  —  my 
mate.  George,  go  and  send  that  cab  away." 

Mrs.  Blossom,  briefly  acknowledging  the  intro- 
duction, followed  the  skipper  to  the  cabin,  while  the 
mate,  growling  under  his  breath,  went  out  to  enter 
into  a  verbal  contest  in  which  he  was  from  the  first 
hopelessly  overmatched. 

The  new  cook,  being  somewhat  fatigued  with  her 
journey,  withdrew  at  an  early  hour,  and  the  sun  was 
well  up  when  she  appeared  on  deck  next  morning. 
The  wharves  and  warehouses  of  the  night  before 
had  disappeared,  and  the  schooner,  under  a  fine 
spread  of  canvas,  was  just  passing  Tilbury. 

"  There 's  one  thing  I  must  put  a  stop  to,"  said  the 
skipper,  as  he  and  the  mate,  after  an  admirably- 
cooked  breakfast,  stood  together  talking.  "  The 
men  seem  to  be  hanging  round  that  galley  too 
much." 

"What  can  you  expect?"  demanded  the  mate. 
"  They  've  all  got  their  Sunday  clothes  on  too,  pretty 
dears." 

"  Hi,  you  Bill !  "  cried  the  skipper.  "  What  are 
you  doing  there  ?  " 

"  Lending  cook  a  hand  with  the  saucepans,  sir," 
said  Bill,  an  oakum-bearded  man  of  sixty. 
I     "  There  ain't  no  call  for  'im  to  come  'ere  at 


THE    COOK    OF   THE    "GANNET" 

all,  sir,"  shouted  another  seaman,  putting  his  head 
out  of  the  galley.  "  Me  an'  cook 's  lifting  'em 
beautiful." 

"  Come  out,  both  of  you,  or  I  '11  start  you  with  a 
rope !  "  roared  the  irritated  commander. 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  Mrs.  Blossom. 
"  They  're  not  doing  any  harm." 

"  I  can't  have  'em  there,"  said  the  skipper  gruffly. 
"  They  've  got  other  things  to  do." 

"  I  must  have  some  assistance  with  that  boiler  and 
the  saucepans,"  said  Mrs.  Blossom  decidedly,  "  so 
don't  you  interfere  with  what  don't  concern  you, 
Jimmy." 

"  That 's  mutiny,"  whispered  the  horrified  mate. 
"  Sheer,  rank  mutiny." 

"  She  don't  know  no  better,"  whispered  the  other 
back.  "  Cook,  you  mustn't  talk  like  that  to  the  cap'n 
—  what  me  and  the  mate  tell  you  you  must  do.  You 
don't  understand  yet,  but  it  '11  come  easier  by-and- 
bye." 

"  Will  it,"  demanded  Mrs.  Blossom  loudly ;  "  will 
it?  I  don't  think  it  will.  How  dare  you  talk  to  me 
like  that,  Jim  Harris  ?  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
yourself !  " 

"  My  name 's  Cap'n  Harris,"  said  the  skipper 
stiffly. 

"  Well,  Captain  Harris,"  said  Mrs.  Blossom 
scornfully ;  "  and  what  '11  happen  if  I  don't  do  as 
you  and  that  other  shamefaced-looking  man  tell 
me?" 

1  We  hope  it  won't  come  to  that,"  said  Harris, 
with  quiet  dignity,  as  he  paused  at  the  companion. 
"  But  the  mate  's  in  charge  just  now,  and  I  warn 

[191] 


MANY    CARGOES 

you  he 's  a  very  severe  man.  Don't  stand  no  non- 
sense, George." 

With  these  brave  words  the  skipper  disappeared 
below,  and  the  mate,  after  one  glance  at  the  dauntless 
and  imposing  attitude  of  Mrs.  Blossom,  walked  to 
the  side  and  became  engrossed  in  a  passing  steamer. 
A  hum  of  wondering  admiration  arose  from  the 
crew,  and  the  cook,  thoroughly  satisfied  with  her 
victory,  returned  to  the  scene  of  her  labours. 

For  the  next  twenty-four  hours  Mrs.  Blossom 
reigned  supreme,  and  performed  the  cooking  for  the 
vessel,  assisted  by  five  ministering  seamen.  The 
weather  was  fine,  and  the  wind  light,  and  the  two 
officers  were  at  their  wits'  end  to  find  jobs  for  the 
men. 

"  Why  don't  you  put  your  foot  down?  "  grumbled 
the  mate,  as  a  burst  of  happy  laughter  came  from  the 
direction  of  the  galley.  "  The  idea  of  men  laughing 
like  that  aboard  ship ;  they  're  carrying  on  just  as 
though  we  was  n't  here." 

"  Will  you  stand  by  me?  "  demanded  the  skipper, 
pale  but  determined. 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  said  the  other  indignantly. 

"  Now,  my  lads,"  said  Harris,  stepping  forward, 
"  I  can't  have  you  chaps  hanging  round  the  galley 
all  day ;  you  're  getting  in  cook's  way  and  hindering 
her.  Just  get  your  knives  out ;  I  '11  have  the  masts 
scraped." 

"  You  just  stay  where  you  are,"  said  Mrs.  Blos- 
som. "  When  they  're  in  my  way,  I  '11  soon  let  'em 
know." 

"  Did  you  hear  what  I  said  ?  "  thundered  the  skip- 
,  as  the  men  hesitated. 

I  192  ] 


THE    COOK    OF    THE    "GANNET* 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  muttered  the  crew,  moving  off. 

"  How  dare  you  interfere  with  me  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Blossom  hotly,  as  she  realised  the  defeat.  "  Ever 
since  I  've  been  on  this  ship  you  've  been  trying  to 
aggravate  me.  I  wonder  the  men  don't  hit  you, 
you  nasty,  ginger- whiskered  little  man." 

"  Go  on  with  your  work,"  said  the  skipper,  fondly 
stroking  the  maligned  whiskers. 

"  Don't  you  talk  to  me,  Jim  Harris,"  said  Mrs. 
Blossom,  quivering  with  wrath.  "  Don't  you  give 
me  none  of  your  airs.  Who  borrowed  five  pounds 
from  my  poor  dead  husband  just  before  he  died, 
and  never  paid  it  back?  " 

11  Go  on  with  your  work,"  repeated  the  skipper, 
with  pale  lips. 

"  Whose  uncle  Benjamin  had  three  weeks?  "  de- 
manded Mrs.  Blossom  darkly.  "  Whose  uncle  Joseph 
had  to  go  abroad  without  stopping  to  pack  up?  " 

The  skipper  made  no  reply,  but  the  anxiety  of 
the  crew  to  have  these  vital  problems  solved  was 
so  manifest  that  he  turned  his  back  on  the  virago 
and  went  towards  the  mate,  who  at  that  moment 
dipped  hurriedly  to  escape  a  wet  dish-clout.  The 
two  men  regarded  each  other,  pale  with  anxiety. 

"  Now,  you  just  move  off,"  said  Mrs.  Blossom, 
shaking  another  clout  at  them.  "  I  won't  have  you 
hanging  about  my  galley.  Keep  to  your  own  end 
of  the  ship." 

The  skipper  drew  himself  up  haughtily,  but  the 
effect  was  somewhat  marred  by  one  eye,  which 
dwelt  persistently  on  the  clout,  and  after  a  short 
inward  struggle  he  moved  off,  accompanied  by  the 
mate.  Wellington  himself  would  have  been  non- 
13  [  '93  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

pluseed  by  a  wet  clout  in  the  hands  of  a  fearless 
woman. 

"  She  '11  just  have  to  have  her  own  way  till  we 
get  to  Llanelly,"  said  the  indignant  skipper,  "  and 
then  I  '11  send  her  home  by  train  and  ship  another 
cook.  I  knew  she  'd  got  a  temper,  but  I  did  n't 
know  it  was  like  this.  She  's  the  last  woman  that 


A  Hurried  Dip 

sets  foot  on  my  ship  —  that 's  all  she 's  done  for 
her  sex." 

In  happy  ignorance  of  her  impending  doom  Mrs. 
Blossom  went  blithely  about  her  duties,  assisted  by 
a  crew  whose  admiration  for  her  increased  by  leaps 
and  bounds;  and  the  only  thing  which  ventured  to 
interfere  with  her  was  a  stiff  Atlantic  roll,  which 
they  encountered  upon  rounding  the  Land's  End. 

[194] 


THE    COOK    OF    THE    "GANNET" 

/- 

The  first  intimation  Mrs  Blossom  had  of  it  was 
the  falling  of  small  utensils  in  the  galley.  After 
she  had  picked  them  up  and  replaced  them  several 
times,  she  went  out  to  investigate,  and  discovered 
that  the  schooner  was  dipping  her  bows  to  big  green 
waves,  and  rolling,  with  much  straining  and  creak- 
ing, from  side  to  side.  A  fine  spray,  which  broke 
over  the  bows  and  flew  over  the  vessel,  drove  her 
back  into  the  galley,  which  had  suddenly  devel- 
oped an  unaccountable  stuffiness;  but,  though  the 
crew  to  a  man  advised  her  to  lie  down  and  have 
a  cup  of  tea,  she  repelled  them  with  scorn,  and 
with  pale  face  and  compressed  lips  stuck  to  her 
post. 

Two  days  later  they  made  fast  to  the  quay  at 
Llanelly,  and  half-an-hour  later  the  skipper  called 
the  mate  down  to  the  cabin,  and,  handing  him  some 
money,  told  him  to  pay  the  cook  off  and  ship  an- 
other. The  mate  declined. 

"  You  obey  orders,"  said  the  skipper  fiercely, 
"  else  you  an'  me  '11  quarrel." 

"  I  've  got  a  wife  an'  family,"  urged  the  mate. 

"  Pooh !  "  said  the  skipper.     "  Rubbish !  " 

"  And  uncles,"  added  the  mate  rebelliously. 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  skipper,  glaring.  "  We  '11 
ship  the  other  cook  first  and  let  him  settle  it.  After 
all,  I  don't  see  why  we  should  fight  his  battles  for 
him." 

The  mate,  being  agreeable,  went  off  at  once ;  and 
when  Mrs.  Blossom,  after  a  little  shopping  ashore, 
returned  to  the  Gannet  she  found  the  galley  in  the 
possession  of  one  of  the  fattest  cooks  that  ever  broke 
ship's  biscuit. 


MANY    CARGOES 

r 

•  "Hullo!"  said  she,  realising  the  situation  at  a 
glance,  "what  are  you  doing  here?" 

"  Cooking,"  said  the  other  gruffly.  Then,  catch- 
ing sight  of  his  questioner,  he  smiled  amorously 
and  winked  at  her. 

"  Don't  you  wink  at  me,"  said  Mrs.  Blossom 
wrathfully.  "  Come  out  of  that  galley." 

"  There 's  room  for  both,"  said  the  new  cook 
persuasively.  "  Come  in  an'  put  your  'ed  on  my 
shoulder." 

Utterly  unprepared  for  this  mode  of  attack,  Mrs. 
Blossom  lost  her  nerve,  and,  instead  of  storming 
the  galley,  as  she  had  fully  intended,  drew  back 
and  retired  to  the  cabin,  where  she  found  a  short 
note  from  the  skipper,  enclosing  her  pay,  and  re- 
questing her  to  take  the  train  home.  After  reading 
this  she  went  ashore  again,  returning  presently  with 
a  big  bundle,  which  she  placed  on  the  cabin  table 
in  front  of  Harris  and  the  mate,  who  had  just 
begun  tea. 

"  I  'm  not  going  home  by  train,"  said  she,  open- 
ing the  bundle,  which  contained  a  spirit  kettle  and 
provisions.  "  I  'm  going  back  with  you ;  but  I  am 
not  going  to  be  beholden  to  you  for  anything  — 
I  'm  going  to  board  myself." 

After  this  declaration  she  made  herself  tea  and 
sat  down.  The  meal  proceeded  in  silence,  though 
occasionally  she  astonished  her  companions  by  little 
mysterious  laughs,  which  caused  them  slight  un- 
easiness. As  she  made  no  hostile  demonstration, 
however,  they  became  reassured,  and  congratulated 
themselves  upon  the  success  of  their  manoeuvre. 

"  How  long  shall  we  be  getting  back  to  Lon- 


THE    COOK    OF    THE    "GANNET" 

don,  do  you  think  ? "  inquired  Mrs.  Blossom  at 
last. 

"  We  shall  probably  sail  Tuesday  night,  and  it 
may  be  anything  from  six  days  upwards,"  answered 
the  skipper.  "  If  this  wind  holds  it  '11  probably  be 
upwards." 

To  his  great  concern  Mrs.  Blossom  put  her  hand- 
kerchief over  her  face,  and,  shaking  with  suppressed 
laughter,  rose  from  the  table  and  left  the  cabin. 

The  couple  left  eyed  each  other  wonderingly. 

."  Did  I  say  anything  pertickler  funny,  George?  " 
inquired  the  skipper,  after  some  deliberation. 

"  Did  n't  strike  me  so,"  said  the  mate  carelessly ; 
"  I  expect  she  's  thought  o'  something  else  to  say 
about  your  family.  She  would  n't  be  so  good-tem- 
pered as  all  that  for  nothing.  I  feel  cur'ous  to 
know  what  it  is." 

"  If  you  paid  more  attention  to  your  own  busi- 
ness," said  the  skipper,  his  choler  rising,  "  you  'd 
get  on  better.  A  mate  who  was  a  good  seaman 
would  n't  ha'  let  a  cook  go  on  like  this  —  it 's  not 
discipline." 

He  went  off  in  dudgeon,  and  a  coolness  sprang 
up  between  them,  which  lasted  until  the  bustle  of 
starting  in  the  small  hours  of  Wednesday  morning. 

Once  under  way  the  day  passed  uneventfully,  the 
schooner  crawling  sluggishly  down  the  coast  of 
Wales,  and,  when  the  skipper  turned  in  that  night, 
it  was  with  the  pleasant  conviction  that  Mrs.  Blos- 
som had  shot  her  last  bolt,  and,  like  a  sensible 
woman,  was  going  to  accept  her  defeat.  From 
this  pleasing  idea  he  was  aroused  suddenly  by  the 
watch  stamping  heavily  on  the  deck  overhead. 

[197] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  What 's  up  ?  "  cried  the  skipper,  darting  up  the 
companion-ladder,  jostled  by  the  mate. 

"  I  dunno,"  said  Bill,  who  was  at  the  wheel, 
shakily.  "  Mrs.  Blossom  come  up  on  deck  a  little 
while  ago,  and  since  then  there  's  been  three  or  four 
heavy  splashes." 

"  She  can't  have  gone  overboard,"  said  the  skip- 
per, in  tones  to  which  he  manfully  strove  to  impart 
a  semblance  of  anxiety.  "  No,  here  she  is.  Any- 
thing wrong,  Mrs.  Blossom?" 

"  Not  so  far  as  I  'm  concerned,"  replied  the  lady, 
passing  him  and  going  below. 

"  You  've  been  dreaming,  Bill,"  said  the  skipper 
sharply. 

"  I  ain't,"  said  Bill  stoutly.  "  I  tell  you  I  heard 
splashes.  It 's  my  belief  she  coaxed  the  cook  up 
on  deck,  and  then  shoved  him  overboard.  A  woman 
could  do  anything  with  a  man  like  that  cook." 

"  I  '11  soon  see,"  said  the  mate,  and  walking  for- 
ward he  put  his  head  down  the  fore-scuttle  and 
yelled  for  the  cook. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  answered  a  voice  sleepily,  while 
the  other  men  started  up  in  their  bunks.  "  Do  you 
want  me  ?  " 

"  Bill  thinks  somebody  has  gone  overboard,"  said 
the  mate.  "  Are  you  all  here?  " 

In  answer  to  this  the  mystified  men  turned  out 
all  standing,  and  came  on  deck  yawning  and  rubbing 
their  eyes,  while  the  mate  explained  the  situation. 
Before  he  had  finished  the  cook  suddenly  darted  off 
to  the  galley,  and  the  next  moment  the  forlorn  cry 
of  a  bereaved  soul  broke  on  their  startled  ears. 

"  What  is  it?  "  cried  the  mate. 
[198] 


THE    COOK    OF    THE    "GANNET" 

"  Come  here!  "  shouted  the  cook,  "  look  at  this!  " 
He  struck  a  match  and  held  it  aloft  in  his  shaking 
fingers,  and  the  men,  who  were  worked  up  to  a 
great  pitch  of  excitement  and  expected  to  see  some- 
thing ghastly,  after  staring  hard  for  some  time  in 
vain,  profanely  requested  him  to  be  more  explicit. 
"  She  's  thrown  all  the  saucepans  and  things  over- 
board,"   said    the   cook    with    desperate    calmness. 
"  This  lid  of  a  tea  kettle  is  all  that 's  left  for  me  to 
do  the  cooking  in." 

The  Gannet,  manned  by  seven  famine-stricken 
misogynists,  reached  London  six  days  later,  the 
skipper  obstinately  refusing  to  put  in  at  an  inter- 
mediate port  to  replenish  his  stock  of  hardware. 
The  most  he  would  consent  to  do  was  to  try  and 
borrow  from  a  passing  vessel,  but  the  unseemly  be- 
haviour of  the  master  of  a  brig,  who  lost  two  hours 
owing  to  their  efforts  to  obtain  a  saucepan  of  him, 
utterly  discouraged  any  further  attempts  in  that  di- 
rection, and  they  settled  down  to  a  diet  of  biscuits 
and  water,  and  salt  beef  scorched  on  the  stove. 

Mrs.  Blossom,  unwilling  perhaps  to  witness  their 
sufferings,  remained  below,  and  when  they  reached 
London,  only  consented  to  land  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  guard  of  honour,  composed  of  all  the 
able-bodied  men  on  the  wharf. 


[I99l 


A   BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

IN  the  small  front  parlour  of  No.  3,  Mermaid 
Passage,  Sunset  Bay,  Jackson  Pepper,  ex-pilot, 
sat  in  a  state  of  indignant  collapse,  tenderly 
feeling  a  cheek  on  which  the  print  of  hasty  ringers 
still  lingered. 

The  room,  which  was  in  excellent  order,  showed 
no  signs  of  the  tornado  which  had  passed  through 
it,  and  Jackson  Pepper,  looking  vaguely  round,  was 
dimly  reminded  of  those  tropical  hurricanes  he  had 
read  about  which  would  strike  only  the  objects  in 
the  path,  and  leave  all  others  undisturbed. 

In  this  instance  he  had  been  the  object,  and  the 
tornado,  after  obliterating  him,  had  passed  up  the 
small  staircase  which  led  from  the  room,  leaving 
him  listening  anxiously  to  its  distant  mutterings. 

To  his  great  discomfort  the  storm  showed  signs 
of  coming  up  again,  and  he  had  barely  time  to 
affect  an  appearance  of  easy  unconcern,  which  ac- 
corded but  ill  with  the  flush  afore-mentioned,  when 
a  big,  red-faced  woman  came  heavily  downstairs 
and  burst  into  the  room. 

"  You  have  made  me  ill  again,"  she  said  severely, 
"  and  now  I  hope  you  are  satisfied  with  your  work. 
(You  '11  kill  me  before  you  have  done  with  me !  " 
[200] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

The  ex-pilot  shifted  on  his  chair. 

"  You  're  not  fit  to  have  a  wife,"  continued  Mrs. 
Pepper,  "  aggravating  them  and  upsetting  them ! 
Any  other  woman  would  have  left  you  long  ago !  " 

"  We  've  only  been  married  three  months,"  Pep- 
per reminded  her. 

"Don't  talk  to  me!"  said  his  wife;  "it  seems 
more  like  a  lifetime!" 

"  It  seems  a  long  time  to  me"  said  the  ex-pilot, 
plucking  up  a  little  courage. 

"That's  right!"  said  his  wife,  striding  over  to 
where  he  sat.  "  Say  you  're  tired  of  me;  say  you 
wieh  you  had  n't  married  me !  You  coward !  Ah ! 
if  my  poor  first  husband  was  only  alive  and  sitting 
in  that  chair  now  instead  of  you,  how  happy  I 
would  be ! " 

"  If  he  likes  to  come  and  take  it  he  's  welcome !  " 
said  Pepper ;  "  it 's  my  chair,  and  it  was  my  father's 
before  me,  but  there  's  no  man  living  I  would  sooner 
give  it  to  than  your  first.  Ah !  he  knew  what  he 
was  about  when  the  Dolphin  went  down,  he  did. 
I  don't  blame  him,  though." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded  his  wife. 

"  It 's  my  belief  that  he  did  n't  go  down  with 
her,"  said  Pepper,  crossing  over  to  the  staircase 
and  standing  with  his  hand  on  the  door. 

"Didn't  go  down  with  her?"  repeated  his  wife 
scornfully.  "What  became  of  him,  then?  Where  's 
he  been  this  thirty  years?" 

"  In  hiding!  "  said  Pepper  spitefully,  and  passed 
hastily  upstairs. 

The  room  above  was  charged  with  memories 
of  the  late  lamented.  His  portrait  in  oils  hung 
[201] 


MANY    CARGOES 

atiove  the  mantel-piece,  smaller  portraits  —  speci- 
mens of  the  photographer's  want  of  art  —  were 
scattered  about  the  room,  while  various  personal 
effects,  including  a  mammoth  pair  of  sea-boots,  stood 
in  a  corner.  On  all  these  articles  the  eye  of  Jackson 
Pepper  dwelt  with  an  air  of  chastened  regret. 

"  It  'ud  be  a  rum  go  if  he  did  turn  up  after  all," 
he  said  to  himself  softly,  as  he  sat  on  the  edge  of 
the  bed.  "  I  Ve  heard  of  such  things  in  books.  I 
dessay  she  'd  be  disappointed  if  she  did  see  him 
now.  Thirty  years  makes  a  bit  of  difference  in 
a  man." 

"  Jackson !  "  cried  his  wife  from  below,  "  I  'm 
going  out.  If  you  want  any  dinner  you  can  get  it; 
if  not,  you  can  go  without  it !  " 

The  front  door  slammed  violently,  and  Jackson, 
advancing  cautiously  to  the  window,  saw  the  form 
of  his  wife  sailing  majestically  up  the  passage.  Then 
he  sat  down  again  and  resumed  his  meditations. 

"  If  it  was  n't  for  leaving  all  my  property  I  'd 
go,"  he  said  gloomily.  "  There  's  not  a  bit  of  com- 
fort in  the  place!  Nag,  nag,  nag,  from  morn  till 
night!  Ah,  Cap'n  Budd,  you  let  me  in  for  a  nice 
thing  when  you  went  down  with  that  boat  of  yours. 
Come  back  and  fill  them  boots  again ;  they  're  too 
big  for  me." 

He  rose  suddenly  and  stood  gaping  in  the  centre 
of  the  room,  as  a  mad,  hazy  idea  began  to  form  in 
his  brain.  His  eyes  blinked  and  his  face  grew  white 
with  excitement.  He  pushed  open  the  little  lattice 
window,  and  sat  looking  abstractedly  up  the  pas- 
sage on  to  the  bay  beyond.  Then  he  put  on  his 
hat,  and,  deep  in  thought,  went  out. 
[  202  ] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

He  was  still  thinking  deeply  as  he  boarded  the 
train  for  London  next  morning,  and  watched  Sunset 
Bay  from  the  window  until  it  disappeared  round 
the  curve.  So  many  and  various  were  the  changes 
that  flitted  over  his  face  that  an  old  lady,  whose 
seat  he  had  taken,  gave  up  her  intention  of  appris- 
ing him  of  the  fact,  and  indulged  instead  in  a  bitter 
conversation  with  her  daughter,  of  which  the  erring 
Pepper  was  the  unconscious  object. 

In  the  same  preoccupied  fashion  he  got  on  a 
Bays  water  omnibus,  and  waited  patiently  for  it  to 
reach  Poplar.  Strange  changes  in  the  landscape, 
not  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  mere  lapse  of  time, 
led  to  explanations,  and  the  conductor  —  a  humane 
man,  who  said  he  had  got  an  idiot  boy  at  home  — 
personally  laid  down  the  lines  of  his  tour.  Two 
hours  later  he  stood  in  front  of  a  small  house  painted 
in  many  colours,  and,  ringing  the  bell,  inquired  for 
Cap'n  Crippen. 

In  response  to  his  inquiry,  a  big  man,  with  light 
blue  eyes  and  a  long  grey  beard,  appeared,  and, 
recognising  his  visitor  with  a  grunt  of  surprise, 
drew  him  heartily  into  the  passage  and  thrust  him 
into  the  parlour.  He  then  shook  hands  with  him, 
and,  clapping  him  on  the  back,  bawled  lustily  for 
the  small  boy  who  had  opened  the  door. 

"  Pot  o'  stout,  bottle  o'  gin,  and  two  long  pipes," 
said  he,  as  the  boy  came  to  the  door  and  eyed  the 
ex-pilot  curiously. 

At  all  these  honest  preparations  for  his  welcome 
the  heart  of  Jackson  grew  faint  within  him. 

"  Well,  I  call  it  good  of  you  to  come  all  this  way 
to  see  me,"  said  the  captain,  after  the  boy  had  dis- 

[203] 


MANY    CARGOES 

appeared ;  "  but  you  always  was  warm-hearted,  Pep- 
per.    And  how  's  the  missis  ?  " 

"  Shocking! "  said  Pepper,  with  a  groan. 

"  111  ?  "  inquired  the  captain. 

"  Ill-tempered,"  said  Pepper.  "  In  fact,  cap'n, 
I  don't  mind  telling  you,  she  's  killing  me  —  slowly 
killing  me !  " 

"  Pooh !  "  said  Crippen.  "  Nonsense !  You  don't 
Icnow  how  to  manage  her ! " 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you  could  advise  me,"  said 
the  artful  Pepper.  "  I  said  to  myself  yesterday, 
'  Pepper,  go  and  see  Cap'n  Crippen.  What  he  don't 
know  about  wimmen  and  their  management  ain't 
worth  knowing !  If  there  's  anybody  can  get  you 
out  of  a  hole,  it 's  him.  He  's  got  the  power,  and, 
what 's  more,  he 's  got  the  will ! ' 

"What  causes  the  temper?"  inquired  the  cap- 
tain, with  his  most  judicial  air,  as  he  took  the  liquor 
from  his  messenger  and  carefully  filled  a  couple  of 
glasses. 

"  It 's  natural !  "  said  his  friend  ruefully.  "  She 
calls  it  having  a  high  spirit  herself.  And  she  's  so 
generous !  She  's  got  a  married  niece  living  in  the 
place,  and  when  that  gal  comes  round  and  admires 
the  things  —  my  things  —  she  gives  'em  to  her ! 
She  gave  her  a  sofa  the  other  day,  and,  what 's 
•more,  she  made  me  help  the  gal  to  carry  it  home !  " 

"  Have  you  tried  being  sarcastic  ?  "  inquired  the 
captain  thoughtfully. 

"  I  have,"  said  Pepper,  with  a  shiver.  "  The 
other  day  I  said,  very  nasty,  '  Is  there  anything  else 
you'd  like,  my  dear?'  but  she  did  n't  understand  it." 

"No?"  said  the  captain. 
[204] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

"  No,"  said  Pepper.  "  She  said  I  was  very  kind, 
and  she  'd  like  the  clock ;  and,  what 's  more,  she 
had  it  too!  Red-'aired  hussy!" 

The  captain  poured  out  some  gin  and  drank  it 
slowly.  It  was  evident  he  was  thinking  deeply,  and 
that  he  was  much  affected  by  his  friend's  troubles. 

"  There  is  only  one  way  for  me  to  get  clear," 
said  Pepper,  as  he  finished  a  thrilling  recital  of 
his  wrongs,  "  and  that  is,  to  find  Cap'n  Budd,  her 
first." 

"Why,  he's  dead!"  said  Crippen,  staring  hard. 
"  Don't  you  waste  your  time  looking  for  him ! " 

"I'm  not  going  to,"  said  Pepper;  "but  here's 
his  portrait.  He  was  a  big  man  like  you;  he  had 
blue  eyes  and  a  straight  handsome  nose,  like  you. 
If  he  'd  lived  to  now  he  'd  be  almost  your  age,  and 
very  likely  more  like  you  than  ever.  He  was  a 
sailor ;  you  've  been  a  sailor." 

The  captain  stared  at  him  in  bewilderment. 

"  He  had  a  wonderful  way  with  wimmen,"  pur- 
sued Jackson  hastily ;  "  you  've  got  a  wonderful 
way  with  wimmen.  More  than  that,  you  've  got 
the  most  wonderful  gift  for  acting  I  've  ever  seen. 
Ever  since  the  time  when  you  acted  in  that  barn  at 
Bristol  I  've  never  seen  any  actor  I  can  honestly 
say  I  've  liked  —  never !  Look  how  you  can  imi- 
tate cats  —  better  than  Henry  Irving  himself !  " 

"  I  never  had  much  chance,  being  at  sea  all  my 
life,"  said  Crippen  modestly. 

"  You  've  got  the  gift,"  said  Pepper  impressively. 
"  It  was  born  in  you,  and  you  '11  never  leave  off 
acting  till  the  day  of  your  death.  You  could  n't  if 
you  tried  —  you  know  you  could  n't !  " 


MANY    CARGOES 

The  captain  smiled  deprecatingly. 

"  Now,  I  want  you  to  do  a  performance  for  my 
benefit,"  continued  Pepper.  "  I  want  you  to  act 
Cap'n  Budd,  what  was  lost  in  the  Dolphin  thirty 
years  ago.  There  's  only  one  man  in  England  I  'd 
trust  with  the  part,  and  that  's  you." 

"  Act  Cap'n  Budd !  "  gasped  the  astonished  Crip- 
pen,  putting  down  his  glass  and  staring  at  his 
friend. 

"  The  part  is  written  here,"  said  the  ex-pilot,  pro- 
ducing a  note-book  from  his  breast  pocket  and  hold- 
ing it  out  to  his  friend.  "  I  've  been  keeping  a  log 
day  by  day  of  all  the  things  she  said  about  him,  in 
the  hopes  of  catching  her  tripping,  but  I  never  did. 
There  's  notes  of  his  family,  his  ships,  and  a  lot  of 
silly  things  he  used  to  say,  which  she  thinks  funny." 

"  I  could  n't  do  it !  "  said  the  captain  seriously, 
as  he  took  the  book. 

"  You  could  do  it  if  you  liked,"  said  Pepper. 
"  Besides,  think  what  a  spree  it  '11  be  for  you. 
Learn  it  by  heart,  then  come  down  and  claim  her. 
Her  name  's  Martha." 

"What  good  'ud  it  do  you  if  I  did?"  inquired 
the  captain.  "  She  'd  soon  find  out !  " 

"  You  come  down  to  Sunset  Bay,"  said  Pepper, 
emphasising  his  remarks  with  his  forefinger ;  "  you 
claim  your  wife;  you  allude  carefully  to  the  things 
set  down  in  this  book ;  I  give  Martha  back  to  you 
and  bless  you  both.  Then  " 

'Then  what?"  inquired  Crippen  anxiously. 

"You  disappear!"  concluded  Pepper  trium- 
phantly ;  "  and,  of  course,  believing  her  first  hus- 
band is  alive,  she  has  to  leave  me.  She 's  a  very 
[206] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

particular  woman ;  and,  besides  that,  I  'd  take  care 
to  let  the  neighbours  know.  I  'm  happy,  you  're 
happy,  and,  if  she 's  not  happy,  why,  she  don't 
deserve  to  be." 

"  I  '11  think  it  over,"  said  Crippen,  "  and  write 
and  let  you  know." 

"  Make  up  your  mind  now,"  urged  Pepper,  reach- 
ing over  and  patting  him  encouragingly  upon  the 
shoulder.  "  If  you  promise  to  do  it,  the  thing  's  as 
good  as  done.  Lord !  I  think  I  see  you  now,  com- 
ing in  at  that  door  and  surprising  her.  Talk  about 
acting! " 

"  Is  she  what  you  'd  call  a  good-looking  woman?  " 
inquired  Crippen. 

"Very  handsome!"  said  Pepper,  looking  out  of 
the  window. 

"  I  could  n't  do  it !  "  said  the  captain.  "  It 
would  n't  be  right  and  fair  to  her." 

"  I  don't  see  that !  "  said  Pepper.  "  I  never  ought 
to  have  married  her  without  being  certain  her  first 
was  dead.  It  ain't  right,  Crippen ;  say  what  you 
like,  it  ain't  right !  " 

"  If  you  put  it  that  way,"  said  the  captain 
hesitatingly. 

"  Have  some  more  gin,"  said  the  artful  pilot. 

The  captain  had  some  more,  and,  what  with  flat- 
tery and  gin,  combined  with  the  pleadings  of  his 
friend,  began  to  consider  the  affair  more  favourably. 
Pepper  stuck  to  his  guns,  and  used  them  so  well 
that  when  the  captain  saw  him  off  that  evening  he 
was  pledged  up  to  the  hilt  to  come  down  to  Sunset 
Bay  and  personate  the  late  Captain  Budd  on  the 
following  Thursday. 

[207] 


MANY    CARGOES 

/  The  ex-pilot  passed  the  intervening  days  in  a' 
sort  of  trance,  from  which  he  only  emerged  to  take 
nourishment,  or  answer  the  scoldings  of  his  wife. 
On  the  eventful  Thursday,  however,  his  mood 
changed,  and  he  went  about  in  such  a  state  of  sup- 
pressed excitement  that  he  could  scarcely  keep  still. 

"Lor'  bless  me!"  snapped  Mrs.  Pepper,  as  he 
slowly  perambulated  the  parlour  that  afternoon. 
"  What  ails  the  man  ?  Can't  you  keep  still  for 
five  minutes  ?  " 

The  ex-pilot  stopped  and  eyed  her  solemnly,  but, 
ere  he  could  reply,  his  heart  gave  a  great  bound, 
for,  from  behind  the  geraniums  which  filled  the 
window,  he  saw  the  face  of  Captain  Crippen  slowly 
rise  and  peer  cautiously  into  the  room.  Before  his 
wife  could  follow  the  direction  of  her  husband's 
eyes  it  had  disappeared. 

"  Somebody  looking  in  at  the  window,"  said 
Pepper,  with  forced  calmness,  in  reply  to  his  wife's 
eyebrows. 

"  Like  their  impudence !  "  said  the  unconscious 
woman,  resuming  her  knitting,  while  her  husband 
waited  in  vain  for  the  captain  to  enter. 

He  waited  some  time,  and  then,  half  dead  with 
excitement,  sat  down,  and  with  shaking  fingers  lit 
his  pipe.  As  he  looked  up  the  stalwart  figure  of 
the  captain  passed  the  window.  During  the  next 
twenty  minutes  it  passed  seven  times,  and  Pepper, 
coming  to  the  not  unnatural  conclusion  that  his 
friend  intended  to  pass  the  afternoon  in  the  same 
unprofitable  fashion,  resolved  to  force  his  hand. 

"  Must  be  a  tramp,"  he  said  aloud. 

"  LWho  ?  "  inquired  his  wife. 
[208] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

"  Man  keeps  looking  in  at  the  window,"  said 
Pepper  desperately.  "  Keeps  looking  in  till  he  meets 
my  eye,  then  he  disappears.  Looks  like  an  old  sea- 
captain,  something." 

"  Old  sea-captain  ?  "  said  his  wife,  putting  down 
her  work  and  turning  round.  There  was  a  strange 
hesitating  note  in  her  voice.  She  looked  at  the 
window,  and  at  the  same  instant  the  head  of  the 
captain  again  appeared  above  the  geraniums,  and, 
meeting  her  gaze,  hastily  vanished.  Martha  Pepper 
sat  still  for  a  moment,  and  then,  rising  in  a  slow, 
dazed  fashion,  crossed  to  the  door  and  opened  it. 
Mermaid  Passage  was  empty! 

"  See  anybody?"  quavered  Pepper. 

His  wife  shook  her  head,  but  in  a  strangely  quiet 
fashion,  and,  sitting  down,  took  up  her  knitting 
again. 

For  some  time  the  click  of  the  needles  and  the 
tick  of  the  clock  were  the  only  sounds  audible,  and 
the  ex-pilot  had  just  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that 
his  friend  had  abandoned  him  to  his  fate,  when 
there  came  a  low  tapping  at  the  door. 

"  Come  in !  "  cried  Pepper,  starting. 

The  door  opened  slowly,  and  the  tall  figure  of 
Captain  Crippen  entered  and  stood  there  eyeing 
them  nervously.  A  neat  little  speech  he  had  pre- 
pared failed  him  at  the  supreme  moment.  He 
leaned  against  the  wall,  and  in  a  clumsy,  shame- 
faced fashion  lowered  his  gaze,  and  stammered  out 
the  one  word  —  "  Martha !  " 

At  that  word  Mrs.  Pepper  rose  and  stood  with 
parted  lips,  eyeing  him  wildly. 

"Jem!"  she  gasped,  "Jem!" 
14  [  209  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Martha !  "  croaked  the  captain  again. 

With  a  choking  cry  Mrs.  Pepper  ran  towards 
him,  and,  to  the  huge  gratification  of  her  lawful 
spouse,  flung  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  kissed 
him  violently. 

"Jem,"  she  cried  breathlessly,  "  is  it  really  you? 
I  can  hardly  believe  it.  Where  have  you  been  all 
this  long  time?  Where  have  you  been?" 

"  Lots  of  places,"  said  the  captain,  who  was  not 
prepared  to  answer  a  question  like  that  off-hand; 
"  but  wherever  I  've  been  "  —  he  held  up  his  hand 
theatrically  —  "  the  image  of  my  dear  lost  wife  has 
been  always  in  front  of  me." 

"  I  knew  you  at  once,  Jem,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper 
fondly,  smoothing  the  hair  back  from  his  forehead. 
"  Have  I  altered  much  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  Crippen,  holding  her  at  arm's 
length  and  carefully  regarding  her.  "  You  look 
just  the  same  as  the  first  time  I  set  eyes  on  you." 

"  Where  have  you  been?  "  wailed  Martha  Pepper, 
putting  her  head  on  his  shoulder. 

"  When  the  Dolphin  went  down  from  under  me, 
and  left  me  fighting  with  the  waves  for  life  and 
Martha,  I  was  cast  ashore  on  a  desert  island,"  be- 
gan Crippen  fluently.  "  There  I  remained  for  nearly 
three  years,  when  I  was  rescued  by  a  barque  bound 
for  New  South  Wales.  There  I  met  a  man  from 
Poole  who  told  me  you  were  dead.  Having  no 
further  interest  in  the  land  of  my  birth,  I  sailed 
in  Australian  waters  for  many  years,  and  it  was 
only  lately  that  I  heard  how  cruelly  I  had  been  de- 
ceived, and  that  my  little  flower  was  still  blooming." 

The  little  flower's  head  being  well  down  on  his 
[210] 


A    BENEFIT  PERFORMANCE 

shoulder  again,  the  celebrated  actor  exchanged 
glances  with  the  worshipping  Pepper. 

"  If  you  'd  only  come  before,  Jem,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper.  "Who  was  he?  What  was  his  name?" 

"  Smith,"  said  the  cautious  captain. 

"  If  you  'd  only  come  before,  Jem,"  said  Mrs. 
Pepper,  in  a  smothered  voice,  "  it  would  have  been 
better.  Only  three  months  ago  I  married  that  object 
over  there." 

The  captain  attempted  a  melodramatic  start  with 
such  success,  that,  having  somewhat  underesti- 
mated the  weight  of  his  fair  bride,  he  nearly  lost 
his  balance. 

"  It  can't  be  helped,  I  suppose,"  he  said  reproach- 
fully, "  but  you  might  have  waited  a  little  longer, 
Martha." 

"  Well,  I  'm  your  wife,  anyhow,"  said  Martha, 
"  and  I  '11  take  care  I  never  lose  you  again.  You 
shall  never  go  out  of  my  sight  again  till  you  die. 
Never." 

"  Nonsense,  my  pet,"  said  the  captain,  exchang- 
ing uneasy  glances  with  the  ex-pilot.  "  Nonsense." 

"  It  is  n't  nonsense,  Jem,"  said  the  lady,  as  she 
drew  him  on  to  the  sofa  and  sat  with  her  arms 
round  his  neck.  "  It  may  be  true,  all  you  've  told 
me,  and  it  may  not.  For  all  I  know,  you  may  have 
been  married  to  some  other  woman ;  but  I  've  got 
you  now,  and  I  intend  to  keep  you." 

"  There,  there,"  said  the  captain,  as  soothingly  as 
a  strange  sinking  at  the  heart  would  allow  him. 

"  As  for  that  other  little  man,  I  only  married 
him  because  he  worried  me  so,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper 
tearfully.  "  I  never  loved  him,  but  he  used  to  follow 

[211] 


MANY    CARGOES 

•"-  * 

me  about  and  propose.     Was  it  twelve  or  thirteen 
times  you  proposed  to  me,  Pepper?  " 

"  I  forget,"  said  the  ex-pilot  shortly. 

"  But  I  never  loved  him,"  she  continued.  "  I 
never  loved  you  a  bit,  did  I,  Pepper  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  Pepper  warmly.  "  No  man 
could  ever  have  a  harder  or  more  unfeeling  wife 
than  you  was.  I  '11  say  that  for  you,  willing." 

As  he  bore  this  testimony  to  his  wife's  fidelity 
there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and,  upon  his  opening 
it,  the  rector's  daughter,  a  lady  of  uncertain  age, 
entered,  and  stood  regarding  with  amazement  the 
frantic  but  ineffectual  struggles  of  Captain  Crippen 
to  release  himself  from  a  position  as  uncomfortable 
as  it  was  ridiculous. 

"Mrs.  Pepper!"  said  the  lady,  aghast.  "Oh, 
Mrs.  Pepper ! " 

"It's  all  right,  Miss  Winthrop,"  said  the  lady 
addressed,  calmly,  as  she  forced  the  captain's  flushed 
face  on  to  her  ample  shoulder  again ;  "  it 's  my  first 
husband,  Jem  Budd." 

"  Good  gracious !  "  said  Miss  Winthrop,  starting. 
"  Enoch  Arden  in  the  flesh !  " 

"  Who?  "  inquired  Pepper,  with  a  show  of  polite 
interest. 

"  Enoch  Arden,"  said  Miss  Winthrop.  "  One  of 
our  great  poets  wrote  a  noble  poem  about  a  sailor 
who  came  home  and  found  that  his  wife  had  mar- 
ried again ;  but,  in  the  poem,  the  first  husband  went 
away  without  making  himself  known,  and  died  of 
a  broken  heart." 

She   looked  at   Captain   Crippen   as   though   he 
had  n't  quite  come  up  to  her  expectations. 
[212] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

"  And  now,"  said  Pepper,  speaking  with  great 
cheerfulness,  "  it 's  me  that 's  got  to  have  the  broken 
heart.  Well,  well." 

"  It 's  a  most  interesting  case,"  cried  Miss  Win- 
throp ;  "  and,  if  you  wait  till  I  fetch  my  camera,  I  '11 
take  your  portrait  together  just  as  you  are." 

"  Do,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  cordially. 

"  I  won't  have  my  portrait  took,"  said  tbe  captain, 
with  much  acerbity. 

"  Not  if  I  wish  it,  dear  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Pepper 
tenderly. 

"  Not  if  you  keep  a-wishing  it  all  your  life," 
replied  the  captain  sourly,  making  another  attempt 
to  get  his  head  from  her  shoulder. 

"  Don't  you  think  they  ought  to  have  their  portrait 
taken  now  ?  "  asked  Miss  Winthrop,  turning  to  the 
ex-pilot. 

"  I  don't  see  no  'arm  in  it,"  said  Pepper  thought- 
lessly. 

"  You  hear  what  Mr.  Pepper  says,"  said  the  lady, 
turning  to  the  captain  again.  "  Surely  if  he  does  n't 
mind,  you  ought  not  to." 

"  I  '11  talk  to  him  by-and-bye,"  said  the  captain, 
very  grimly. 

"  P'raps  it  would  be  better  if  we  kept  this  affair 
to  ourselves  for  the  present,"  said  the  ex-pilot,  tak- 
ing alarm  at  his  friend's  manner. 

"  Well,  I  won't  intrude  on  you  any  longer,"  said 
Miss  Winthrop.  "Oh!  Look  there!  How  rude 
of  them!" 

The  others  turned  hastily  in  time  to  see  several 
heads  vanish  from  the  window.  Captain  Crippen 
was  the  first  to  speak.  /-- 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Jem !  "  said  Mrs.  Pepper  severely,  before  fie 
had  finished. 

"  Captain  Budd !  "  said  Miss  Winthrop,  flushing. 

The  incensed  captain  rose  to  his  feet  and  paced 
up  and  down  the  room.  He  looked  at  the  ex-pilot, 
and  that  small  schemer  shivered. 

"  Easy  does  it,  cap'n,"  he  murmured,  with  a  wink 
which  he  meant  to  be  comforting. 

"  I  'm  going  out  a  little  way,"  said  the  captain, 
after  the  rector's  daughter  had  gone.  "  Just  to  cool 
my  head." 

Mrs.  Pepper  took  her  bonnet  from  its  peg  behind 
the  door,  and,  surveying  herself  in  the  glass,  tied  it 
beneath  her  chin. 

"  Alone,"  said  Crippen  nervously.  "  I  want  to 
do  a  little  thinking." 

"  Never  again,  Jem,"  said  Mrs.  Pepper  firmly. 
"  My  place  is  by  your  side.  If  you  're  ashamed  of 
people  looking  at  you,  I  'm  not.  I  'm  proud  of  you. 
Come  along.  Come  and  show  yourself,  and  tell  them 
who  you  are.  You  shall  never  go  out  of  my  sight 
again  as  long  as  I  live.  Never." 

She  began  to  whimper. 

"  What 's  to  be  done?  "  inquired  Crippen,  turning 
desperately  on  the  bewildered  pilot. 

"What's  it  got  to  do  with  him?"  demanded 
Mrs.  Pepper  sharply. 

"  He  's  got  to  be  considered  a  little,  I  s'pose,"  said 
the  captain,  dissembling.  "  Besides,  I  think  I  'd  bet- 
ter do'  like  the  man  in  the  poetry  did.  Let  me  go 
away  and  die  of  a  broken  heart.  Perhaps  it 's  best/' 

Mrs.  Pepper  looked  at  him  with  kindling  eyes. 

"  Let  me  go  away  and  die  of  a  broken  heart," 

I2I4] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

•epeated  the  captain,  with  real  feeling.  "  I  'd  rather 
lo  it.  I  would  indeed." 

Mrs.  Pepper,  bursting  into  angry  tears,  flung  her 
irms  round  his  neck  again,  and  sobbed  on  his 
houlder.  The  pilot,  obeying  the  frenzied  injunc- 
ions  of  his  friend's  eye,  drew  down  the  blind. 

"  There  's  quite  a  crowd  outside,"  he  remarked. 

"  I  don't  mind,"  said  his  wife  amiably.  "  They  '11 
oon  know  who  he  is." 

She  stood  holding  the  captain's  hand  and  stroking 
t,  and  whenever  his  feelings  became  too  much  for 
ter  put  her  head  down  on  his  waistcoat.  At  such 
imes  the  captain  glared  fiercely  at  the  ex-pilot, 
vho,  being  of  a  weak  nature,  was  unable,  despite 
lis  anxiety,  to  give  his  risible  faculties  that  control 
vhich  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion  demanded. 

The  afternoon  wore  slowly  away.  Miss  Win- 
hrop,  who  disliked  scandal,  had  allowed  something 
•f  the  affair  to  leak  out,  and  several  visitors,  in- 
luding  a  local  reporter,  called,  but  were  put  off  till 
he  morrow,  on  the  not  unnatural  plea  that  the 
:>ng-separated  couple  desired  a  little  privacy.  The 
hree  sat  silent,  the  ex-pilot,  with  wrinkled  brows, 
rying  hard  to  decipher  the  lip-language  in  which 
he  captain  addressed  him  whenever  he  had  an 
opportunity,  but  could  only  dimly  guess  its  pur- 
iort,  when  the  captain  pressed  his  huge  fist  into  the 
ervice  as  well. 

Mrs.  Pepper  rose  at  length,  and  went  into  the 
>ack  room  to  prepare  tea.  As  she  left  the  door 
•pen,  however,  and  took  the  captain's  hat  with  her, 
ie  built  no  hopes  on  her  absence,  but  turned  furiously 
o  the  ex-pilot. 

[215] 


MANY    CARGOES 

'  "What's  to  be  done?"  he  inquired  in  a  fierce 
whisper.  "  This  can't  go  on." 

"  It  '11  have  to,"  whispered  the  other. 

"  Now,  look  here,"  said  Crippen  menacingly,  "I'm 
going  into  the  kitchen  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  it. 
I  'm  sorry  for  you,  but  I  've  done  the  best  I  can. 
Come  and  help  me  to  explain." 

He  turned  to  the  kitchen,  but  the  other,  with  the 
strength  born  of  despair,  seized  him  by  the  sleeve 
and  held  him  back. 

"  She  '11  kill  me,"  he  whispered  breathlessly. 

"  I  can't  help  it,"  said  Crippen,  shaking  him  off. 
"  Serve  you  right." 

"And  she'll  tell  the  folks  outside,  and  they'll 
kill  you,"  continued  Pepper. 

The  captain  sat  down  again,  and  confronted  him 
with  a  face  as  pale  as  his  own. 

"  The  last  train  leaves  at  eight,"  whispered  the 
pilot  hurriedly.  "  It 's  desperate,  but  it 's  the  only 
thing  you  can  do.  Take  her  for  a  stroll  up  by  the 
fields  near  the  railway  station.  You  can  see  the 
train  coming  in  for  a  mile  off  nearly.  Time  your- 
self carefully,  and  make  a  bolt  for  it.  She  can't 
run." 

The  entrance  of  their  victim  with  the  tea-tray 
stopped  the  conversation;  but  the  captain  nodded 
acceptance  behind  her  back,  and  then,  with  a  forced 
gaiety,  sat  down  to  tea. 

For  the  first  time  since  his  successful  appearance 
he  became  loquacious,  and  spoke  so  freely  of  inci- 
dents in  the  life  of  the  man  he  was  impersonating 
that  the  ex-pilot  sat  in  a  perfect  fever  lest  he  should 
blunder.  The  meal  finished,  he  proposed  a  stroll, 
[216] 


A    BENEFIT    PERFORMANCE 

and,  as  the  unsuspecting  Mrs.  Pepper  tied  on  her 
bonnet,  slapped  his  leg,  and  winked  confidently  at 
his  fellow-conspirator. 

"  I  'm  not  much  of  a  walker,"  said  the  innocent 
Mrs.  Pepper,  "  so  you  must  go  slowly." 

The  captain  nodded,  and  at  Pepper's  sugges- 
tion left  by  the  back  way,  to  avoid  the  gaze  of  the 
curious. 

For  some  time  after  their  departure  Pepper  sat 
smoking,  with  his  anxious  face  turned  to  the  clock, 
until  at  length,  unable  to  endure  the  strain  any 
longer,  and  not  without  a  sportsmanlike  idea  of  being 
in  at  the  death,  he  made  his  way  to  the  station,  and 
placed  himself  behind  a  convenient  coal-truck. 

He  waited  impatiently,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
road  up  which  he  expected  the  captain  to  come. 
He  looked  at  his  watch.  Five  minutes  to  eight, 
and  still  no  captain.  The  platform  began  to  fill, 
a  porter  seized  the  big  bell  and  rang  it  lustily;  in 
the  distance  a  patch  of  white  smoke  showed.  Just 
as  the  watcher  had  given  up  all  hope,  the  figure 
of  the  captain  came  in  sight.  He  was  swaying 
from  side  to  side,  holding  his  hat  in  his  hand,  but 
doggedly  racing  the  train  to  the  station. 

"He'll  never  do  it!"  groaned  the  pilot.  Then 
he  held  his  breath,  for  three  or  four  hundred  yards 
behind  the  captain  Mrs.  Pepper  pounded  in  pursuit. 

The  train  rolled  into  the  station;  passengers 
stepped  in  and  out;  doors  slammed,  and  the  guard 
had  already  placed  the  whistle  in  his  mouth,  when 
Captain  Crippen,  breathing  stertorously,  came  stum- 
bling blindly  on  to  the  platform,  and  was  hustled 
into  a  third  class  carriage. 
[217] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Close  shave  that,  sir,"  said  the  station-master 
as  he  closed  the  door. 

The  captain  sank  back  in  his  seat,  fighting  for 
breath,  and  turning  his  head,  gave  a  last  triumphant 
look  up  the  road. 

"  All  right,  sir,"  said  the  station-master  kindly, 
as  he  followed  the  direction  of  the  other's  eyes 
and  caught  sight  of  Mrs.  Pepper.  "  We  '11  wait 
for  your  lady." 

Jackson  Pepper  came  from  behind  the  coal-truck 
and  watched  the  train  out  of  sight,  wondering  in 
a  dull,  vague  fashion  what  the  conversation  was 
like.  He  stood  so  long  that  a  tender-hearted  porter, 
who  had  heard  the  news,  made  bold  to  come  up  and 
put  a  friendly  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"  You  '11  never  see  her  again,  Mr.  Pepper,"  he 
said  sympathetically. 

The  ex-pilot  turned  and  regarded  him  fixedly, 
and  the  last  bit  of  spirit  he  was  ever  known  to  show 
flashed  up  in  his  face  as  he  spoke. 

"  You  're  a  blamed  idiot !  "  he  said  rudely. 


218] 


A    CASE    OF    DESERTION 

THE  sun  was  just  rising  as  the  small  tub- 
like  steamer,  or,  to  be  more  correct, 
steam-barge,  the  Bulldog,  steamed  past 
the  sleeping  town  of  Gravesend  at  a  good  six 
knots  per  hour. 

There  had  been  a  little  discussion  on  the  way 
between  her  crew  and  the  engineer,  who,  down  in 
his  grimy  little  engine-room,  did  his  own  stoking 
and  everything  else  necessary.  The  crew,  consist- 
ing of  captain,  mate,  and  boy,  who  were  doing  their 
first  trip  on  a  steamer,  had  been  transferred  at  the 
last  moment  from  their  sailing-barge  the  Witch,  and 
found  to  their  discomfort  that  the  engineer,  who 
had  not  expected  to  sail  so  soon,  was  terribly  and 
abusively  drunk.  Every  moment  he  could  spare 
from  his  engines  he  thrust  the  upper  part  of  his 
body  through  the  small  hatchway,  and  rowed  with 
his  commander. 

"  Ahoy,  bargee ! "  he  shouted,  popping  up  like  a 
jack-in-the-box,  after  a  brief  cessation  of  hostilities. 

"  Don't  take  no  notice  of  'im,"  said  the  mate. 
"  'E  's  got  a  bottle  of  brandy  down  there^  an'  he  's 
'alf  mad." 

"  If  I  knew  anything  o'  them  blessed  engines," 
[219} 


growled  the  skipper,  "  I  'd  go  and  hit  'im  over  the 
head." 

"  But  you  don't,"  said  the  mate,  "  and  neither 
do  I,  so  you'd  better  keep  quiet." 

"  You  think  you  're  a  fine  feller,"  continued  the 
engineer,  "  standing  up  there  an'  playing  with  that 
little  wheel.  You  think  you  're  doing  all  the  work. 
What 's  the  boy  doing?  Send  him  down  to  stoke." 

"  Go  down,"  said  the  skipper,  grinning  with  fury, 
and  the  boy  reluctantly  obeyed. 

"  You  think,"  said  the  engineer  pathetically,  after 
he  had  cuffed  the  boy's  head  and  dropped  him  down 
below  by  the  scruff  of  his  neck,  "  you  think  because 
I  've  got  a  black  face  I  'm  not  a  man.  There  's 
•many  a  hoily  face  'ides  a  good  'art." 

"  I  don't  think  nothing  about  it,"  grunted  the 
skipper ;  "  you  do  your  work,  and  I  '11  do  mine." 

"  Don't  you  give  me  none  of  your  back  answers," 
bellowed  the  engineer,  "  'cos  I  won't  have  'em." 

The  skipper  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  ex- 
changed glances  with  his  sympathetic  mate.  "  Wait 
till  I  get  'im  ashore,"  he  murmured. 

"  The  biler  is  wore  out,"  said  the  engineer,  re- 
appearing after  a  hasty  dive  below.  "  It  may  bust 
at  any  moment." 

As  though  to  confirm  his  words  fearful  sounds 
were  heard  proceeding  from  below. 

"  It 's  only  the  boy,"  said  the  mate,  "  he 's  scared 
• —  natural." 

"  I  thought  it  was  the  biler,"  said  the  skipper, 
with  a  sigh  of  relief.  "  It  was  loud  enough." 

As  he  spoke  the  boy  got  his  head  out  of  the 
hatchway,  and,  rendered  desperate  with  fear,  fairly 
[220] 


fought  his  way  past  the  engineer  and  gained  the 
deck. 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  engineer,  as  he  followed 
him  on  deck  and  staggered  to  the  side.  "  I  've  had 
enough  o'  you  lot." 

"  Had  n't  you  better  go  down  to  them  engines?  " 
shouted  the  skipper. 

"  Am  I  your  slave? "  demanded  the  engineer 
tearfully.  "  Tell  me  that.  Am  I  your  slave?  " 

"  Go  down  and  do  your  work  like  a  sensible 
man,"  was  the  reply. 

At  these  words  the  engineer  took  umbrage  at 
once,  and,  scowling  fiercely,  removed  his  greasy 
jacket  and  flung  his  cap  on  the  deck.  He  then 
finished  the  brandy  which  he  had  brought  up  with 
him,  and  gazed  owlishly  at  the  Kentish  shore. 

"  I  'm  going  to  have  a  wash,"  he  said  loudly, 
and,  sitting  down,  removed  his  boots. 

"  Go  down  to  the  engines  first,"  said  the  skipper, 
"  and  I  '11  send  the  boy  to  you  with  a  bucket  and 
some  soap." 

"Bucket!"  replied  the  engineer  scornfully,  as 
he  moved  to  the  side.  "  I  'm  going  to  have  a 
proper  wash." 

"  Hold  him ! "  roared  the  skipper  suddenly. 
"Hold  him!" 

The  mate,  realising  the  situation,  rushed  to  seize 
him,  but  the  engineer,  with  a  mad  laugh,  put  his 
hands  on  the  side  and  vaulted  into  the  water.  When 
he  rose  the  steamer  was  twenty  yards  ahead. 

"  Go  astarn !  "  yelled  the  mate. 

"  How  can  I  go  astarn  when  there  's  nobody  at 
the  engines  ?  "  shouted  the  skipper,  as  he  hung  on 
[221] 


MANY    CARGOES 

to  the  wheel  and  brought  the  boat's  head  sharply 
round.  "  Git  a  line  ready." 

The  mate,  with  a  coil  of  rope  in  his  hand,  rushed 
to  the  side,  but  his  benevolent  efforts  were  frustrated 
by  the  engineer,  who,  seeing  the  boat's  head  making 
straight  for  him,  saved  his  life  by  an  opportune 
dive.  The  steamer  rushed  by. 

"  Turn  'er  agin !  "    screamed   the  mate. 

The  captain  was  already  doing  so,  and  in  a  re- 
markably short  space  of  time  the  boat,  which  had 
described  a  complete  circle,  was  making  again  for 
the  engineer. 

"  Look  out  for  the  line ! "  shouted  the  mate 
warningly. 

"  I  don't  want  your  line,"  yelled  the  engineer. 
"  I  'm  going  ashore." 

"  Come  aboard !  "  shouted  the  captain  implor- 
ingly, as  they  swept  past  again.  "  We  can't 
manage  the  engines." 

"Put  her  round  again,"  said  the  mate.  "I'll 
go  for  him  with  the  boat.  Haul  her  in,  boy." 

The  boat,  which  was  dragging  astern,  was  hauled 
close,  and  the  mate  tumbled  into  her,  followed  by 
the  boy,  just  as  the  captain  was  in  the  middle  of 
another  circle  —  to  the  intense  indignation  of  a 
crowd  of  shipping,  large  and  small,  which  was  try- 
ing to  get  by. 

"  Ahoy!  "  yelled  the  master  of  a  tug  which  was 
towing  a  large  ship.  "  Take  that  steam  round- 
about out  of  the  way.  What  the  thunder  are  you 
doing?" 

"  Picking  up  my  engineer,"  replied  the  captain, 
as  he  steamed  right  across  the  other's  bows,  and 

I  222  ] 


A    CASE    OF    DESERTION 

nearly  ran  down  a  sailing-barge,  the  skipper  of 
which,  a  Salvation  Army  man,  was  nobly  fighting 
with  his  feelings. 

"  Why  don't  you  stop?"  he  yelled. 

"  'Cos  I  can't,"  wailed  the  skipper  of  the  Bulldog, 
as  he  threaded  his  way  between  a  huge  steamer  and 
a  schooner,  who,  in  avoiding  him,  were  getting  up 
a  little  collision  on  their  own  account. 

"Ahoy,  Bulldog!  Ahoy!"  called  the  mate. 
"  Stand  by  to  pick  us  up.  We  've  got  him." 

The  skipper  smiled  in  an  agonised  fashion  as 
he  shot  past,  hotly  pursued  by  his  boat.  The  feeling 
on  board  the  other  craft  as  they  got  out  of  the  way 
of  the  Bulldog,  and  nearly  ran  down  her  boat,  and 
then,  in  avoiding  that,  nearly  ran  down  something 
else,  cannot  be  put  into  plain  English,  but  several 
captains  ventured  into  the  domains  of  the  orna- 
mental with  marked  success. 

"  Shut  off  steam ! "  yelled  the  engineer,  as  the 
Bulldog  went  by  again.  "  Draw  the  fires,  then." 

"  Who  's  going  to  steer  while  I  do  it  ?  "  bellowed 
the  skipper,  as  he  left  the  wheel  for  a  few  seconds 
to  try  and  get  a  line  to  throw  them. 

By  this  time  the  commotion  in  the  river  was 
frightful,  and  the  captain's  steering,  as  he  went  on 
his  round  again,  something  marvellous  to  behold. 
A  strange  lack  of  sympathy  on  the  part  of  brother 
captains  added  to  his  troubles.  Every  craft  he 
passed  had  something  to  say  to  him,  busy  as  they 
were,  and  the  remarks  were  as  monotonous  as  they 
were  insulting.  At  last,  just  as  he  was  resolving 
to  run  his  boat  straight  down  the  river  until  he  came 
to  a  halt  for  want  of  steam,  the  mate  caught  the 
[223] 


MANY    CARGOES 

rope  he  flung,  and  the  Bulldog  went  down  the  river 
with  her  boat  made  fast  to  her  stern. 

"  Come  aboard,  you  —  you  lunatic !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Not  afore  I  knows  'ow  I  stand,"  said  the  en- 
gineer, who  was  now  beautifully  sober,  and  in  full 
possession  of  a  somewhat  acute  intellect. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded  the  skipper. 

"  I  don't  come  aboard,"  shouted  the  engineer, 
"  until  you  and  the  mate  and  the  bye  all  swear 
as  you  won't  say  nothing  about  this  little  game." 

"  I  '11  report  you  the  moment  I  get  ashore,"  roared 
the  skipper.  "  I  '11  give  you  in  charge  for  desertion. 
I  '11  "  

With  a  supreme  gesture  the  engineer  prepared 
to  dive,  but  the  watchful  mate  fell  on  his  neck  and 
tripped  him  over  a  seat. 

"  Come  aboard !  "  cried  the  skipper,  aghast  at  such 
determination.  "  Come  aboard,  and  I  '11  give  you 
a  licking  when  we  get  ashore  instead." 

"  Honour  bright  ?  "  inquired  the  engineer. 

"  Honour  bright,"  chorussed  the  three. 

The  engineer,  with  all  the  honours  of  war,  came 
on  board,  and,  after  remarking  that  he  felt  chilly 
bathing  on  an  empty  stomach,  went  down  below  and 
began  to  stoke.  In  the  course  of  the  voyage  he 
said  that  it  was  worth  while  making  such  a  fool  of 
himself  if  only  to  see  the  skipper's  beautiful  steering, 
warmly  asseverating  that  there  was  not  another  man 
on  the  river  that  could  have  done  it.  Before  this  in- 
sidious flattery  the  skipper's  wrath  melted  like  snow 
before  the  sun,  and  by  the  time  they  reached  port  he 
would  as  soon  have  thought  of  hitting  his  own  father 
as  his  smooth-tongued  engineer. 
[224! 


OUTSAILED 

IT  was  a  momentous  occasion.  The  two  skippers 
sat  in  the  private  bar  of  the  "  Old  Ship,"  in 
High  Street,  Wapping,  solemnly  sipping  cold 
gin  and  smoking  cigars,  whose  sole  merit  consisted 
in  the  fact  that  they  had  been  smuggled.  It  is  well 
known  all  along  the  waterside  that  this  greatly  im- 
proves their  flavour. 

"Draw  all  right?"  queried  Captain  Berrow  — 
a  short,  fat  man  of  few  ideas,  who  was  the  exulting 
owner  of  a  bundle  of  them. 

"  Beautiful,"  replied  Captain  Tucker,  who  had 
just  made  an  excursion  into  the  interior  of  his 
with  the  small  blade  of  his  penknife.  "  Why  don't 
you  keep  smokes  like  these,  landlord  ?  " 

"  He  can't,"  chuckled  Captain  Berrow  fatuously. 
"  They  're  not  to  be  'ad  —  money  could  n't  buy  'em." 

The  landlord  grunted.  "  Why  don't  you  settle 
about  that  race  o'  yours  an'  ha'  done  with  it,"  he 
cried,  as  he  wiped  down  his  counter.  "  Seems  to 
me,  Cap'n  Tucker 's  hanging  fire." 

"  I  'm  ready  when  he  is,"  said  Tucker,  somewhat 
shortly. 

"It's  taking  your  money,"  said  Berrow  slowly; 
"  the  Thistle  can't  hold  a  candle  to  the  Good  Intentt 
iS  [  225  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

and  you  know  it.  Many  a  time  that  little  schooner 
o'  mine  has  kept  up  with  a  steamer." 

"  Wher'  'd  you  ha'  been  if  the  tow  rope  had 
parted,  though?"  said  the  master  of  the  Thistle, 
with  a  wink  at  the  landlord. 

At  this  remark  Captain  Berrow  took  fire,  and, 
with  his  temper  rapidly  rising  to  fever  heat,  wrath- 
fully  repelled  the  scurvy  insinuation  in  language 
which  compelled  the  respectful  attention  of  all  the 
other  customers  and  the  hasty  intervention  of  the 
landlord. 

"  Put  up  the  stakes,"  he  cried  impatiently.  "  Put 
up  the  stakes,  and  don't  have  so  much  jaw  about  it." 

"  Here 's  mine,"  said  Berrow,  svurdily  handing 
over  a  greasy  fiver.  "  Now,  Cap'n  Tucker,  cover 
that." 

"  Come  on,"  said  the  landlord  encouragingly ; 
41  don't  let  him  take  the  wind  out  of  your  sails 
like  that." 

Tucker  handed  over  five  sovereigns. 

"High  water's  at  12.13,"  sa^  tne  landlord, 
pocketing  the  stakes.  "  You  understand  the  con- 
ditions —  each  of  you  does  the  best  he  can  for 
hisself  after  eleven,  an'  the  one  what  gets  to  Poole 
first  has  the  ten  quid.  Understand?" 

Both  gamblers  breathed  hard,  and,  fully  realising 
the  desperate  nature  of  the  enterprise  upon  which 
they  had  embarked,  ordered  some  more  gin.  A 
rivalry  of  long  standing  as  to  the  merits  of  their 
respective  schooners  had  led  to  them  calling  in  the 
landlord  to  arbitrate,  and  this  was  the  result.  Ber- 
row, vaguely  feeling  that  it  would  be  advisable  to 
keep  on  good  terms  with  the  stakeholder,  offered 
[226] 


OUTSAILED 

him  one  of  the  famous  cigars.  The  stakeholder, 
anxious  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  his  stomach, 
declined  it. 

"  You  've  both  got  your  moorings  up,  I  s'pose?  " 
he  inquired. 

"  Got  'em  up  this  evening,"  replied  Tucker. 
"  We  're  just  made  fast  one  on  each  side  of  the 
Dolphin  now." 

"  The  wind  's  light,  but  it 's  from  the  right  quar- 
ter," said  Captain  Berrow,  "  an'  I  only  hope  as  'ow 
the  best  ship  '11  win.  I  'd  like  to  win  myself,  but,  if 
not,  I  can  only  say  as  there  's  no  man  breathing  I  'd 
sooner  have  lick  me  than  Cap'n  Tucker.  He  's  as 
smart  a  seaman  as  ever  comes  into  the  London  river, 
an'  he  's  got  a  schooner  angels  would  be  proud  of." 

"  Glasses  o'  gin  round,"  said  Tucker  promptly. 
"  Cap'n  Berrow,  here  's  your  very  good  health,  an' 
a  fair  field  an'  no  favour." 

With  these  praiseworthy  sentiments  the  master 
of  the  Thistle  finished  his  liquor,  and,  wiping  his 
mouth  on  the  back  of  his  hand,  nodded  farewell  to 
the  twain  and  departed.  Once  in  the  High  Street 
he  walked  slowly,  as  one  in  deep  thought,  then, 
with  a  sudden  resolution,  turned  up  Nightingale 
Lane,  and  made  for  a  small,  unsavoury  thorough- 
fare leading  out  of  Ratcliff  Highway.  A  quarter 
of  an  hour  later  he  emerged  into  that  famous 
thoroughfare  again,  smiling  incoherently,  and,  re- 
tracing his  steps  to  the  waterside,  jumped  into  a 
boat,  and  was  pulled  off  to  his  ship. 

"  Comes  off  to-night,  Joe,"  said  he,  as  he  de- 
scended to  the  cabin,  "  an'  it 's  arf  a  quid  to  you  if 
the  old  gal  wins." 

[227] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"What's  the  bet?"  inquired  the  mate,  looking 
up  from  his  task  of  shredding  tobacco. 
.    "  Five  quid,"  replied  the  skipper. 

"  Well,  we  ought  to  do  it,"  said  the  mate  slowly ; 
"  't  won't  be  my  fault  if  we  don't." 
•    "  Mine  neither,"  said  the  skipper.    "  As  a  matter 
o'  fact,  Joe,  I  reckon  I  've  about  made  sure  of  it. 
All 's  fair  in  love  and  war  and  racing,  Joe." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  mate,  more  slowly  than  before, 
as  he  revolved  this  addition  to  the  proverb. 

"  I  just  nipped  round  and  saw  a  chap  I  used  to 
know  named  Dibbs,"  said  the  skipper.  "  Keeps  a 
boarding-house  for  sailors.  Wonderful  sharp  little 
chap  he  is.  Needles  ain't  nothing  to  him.  There  's 
heaps  of  needles,  but  only  one  Dibbs.  He  's  going  to 
make  old  Berrow's  chaps  as  drunk  as  lords." 

"  Does  he  know  'em  ?  "  inquired  the  mate. 

"  He  knows  where  to  find  'em,"  said  the  other. 
"  I  told  him  they  'd  either  be  in  the  '  Duke's  Head,' 
or  the  '  Town  o'  Berwick.'  But  he  'd  find  'em 
wherever  they  was.  Ah,  even  if  they  was  in  a 
coffee  pallis,  I  b'leeve  that  man  'ud  find  'em." 

"  They  're  steady  chaps,"  objected  the  mate,  but 
in  a  weak  fashion,  being  somewhat  staggered  by 
this  tribute  to  Mr.  Dibbs'  remarkable  powers. 

"  My  lad,"  said  the  skipper,  "  it 's  Dibbs'  business 
to  mix  sailors'  liquors  so  's  they  don't  know  whether 
they  're  standing  on  their  heads  or  their  heels.  He  's 
the  most  wonderful  mixer  in  Christendom;  takes 
a  reg'lar  pride  in  it.  Many  a  sailorman  has  got  up 
a  ship's  side,  thinking  it  was  stairs,  and  gone  off 
half  acrost  the  world  instead  of  going  to  bed,  through 
him." 

[228] 


OUTSAILED 

"  We  '11  have  a  easy  job  of  it,  then,"  said  the 
mate.  "  I  b'leeve  we  could  ha'  managed  it  without 
that,  though.  'T  ain't  quite  what  you  'd  call  sport, 
is  it?" 

"  There  's  nothing  like  making  sure  of  a  thing," 
said  the  skipper  placidly.  "  What  time  's  our  chaps 
coming  aboard  ?  " 

"  Ten  thirty,  the  latest,"  replied  the  mate.  "  Old 
Sam 's  with  'em,  so  they  '11  be  all  right." 

"  I  '11  turn  in  for  a  couple  of  hours,"  said  the 
skipper,  going  towards  his  berth.  "  Lord !  I  'd  give 
something  to  see  old  Berrow's  face  as  his  chaps  come 
up  the  side." 

"  P'raps  they  won't  git  as  far  as  that,"  remarked 
the  mate. 

"Oh,  yes  they  will,"  said  the  skipper.  "  Dibbs 
is  going  to  see  to  that.  I  don't  want  any  chance  of 
the  race  being  scratched.  Turn  me  out  in  a  couple 
of  hours." 

He  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  the  mate, 
having  stuffed  his  clay  with  the  coarse  tobacco,  took 
some  pink  note-paper  with  scalloped  edges  from  his 
drawer,  and,  placing  the  paper  at  his  right  side,  and 
squaring  his  shoulders,  began  some  private  cor- 
respondence. 

For  some  time  he  smoked  and  wrote  in  silence, 
until  the  increasing  darkness  warned  him  to  finish 
his  task.  He  signed  the  note,  and,  having  put  a  few 
marks  of  a  tender  nature  below  his  signature,  sealed 
it  ready  for  the  post,  and  sat  with  half-closed  eyes, 
finishing  his  pipe.  Then  his  head  nodded,  and,  plac- 
ing his  arms  on  the  table,  he  too  slept. 

It  seemed  but  a  minute  since  he  had  closed  his 

f  22Q] 


MANY    CARGOES 

-4 

eyes  when  he  was  awakened  by  the  entrance  of 
the  skipper,  who  came  blundering  into  the  dark- 
ness from  his  stateroom,  vociferating  loudly  and 
nervously. 

"  Ay,  ay !  "  said  Joe,  starting  up. 

"  Where's  the  lights?"  said  the  skipper.  "  What's 
the  time?  I  dreamt  I  'd  overslept  myself.  What's 
the  time?" 

"  Plenty  o'  time,"  said  the  mate  vaguely,  as  he 
stifled  a  yawn. 

"  Ha'-past  ten,"  said  the  skipper,  as  he  struck 
a  match.  "  You  've  been  asleep,"  he  added  severely. 

"  I  ain't,"  said  the  mate  stoutly,  as  he  followed 
the  other  on  deck.  "  I  've  been  thinking.  I  think 
better  in  the  dark." 

"  It 's  about  time  our  chaps  was  aboard,"  said  the 
skipper,  as  he  looked  round  the  deserted  deck.  "  I 
hope  they  won't  be  late." 

"  Sam  's  with  'em,"  said  the  mate  confidently,  as 
he  went  on  to  the  side ;  "  there  ain't  no  festivities 
going  on  aboard  the  Good  Intent,  neither." 

"  There  will  be,"  said  his  worthy  skipper,  with  a 
grin,  as  he  looked  across  the  intervening  brig  at  the 
rival  craft;  "  there  will  be." 

He  walked  round  the  deck  to  see  that  everything 
was  snug  and  ship-shape,  and  got  back  to  the  mate 
just  as  a  howl  of  surprising  weirdness  was  heard 
proceeding  from  the  neighbouring  stairs. 

"  I  'm  s'prised  at  Berrow  allowing  his  men  to 
make  that  noise,"  said  the  skipper  waggishly.  "  Our 
chaps  are  there  too,  I  think.  I  can  hear  Sam's 
voice." 

"  So  can  I,"  said  the  mate,  with  emphasis. 
[  230  ] 


OUTSAILED 


"  Seems  to  be  talking  rather  loud,"  said  the  master 
of  the  Thistle,  knitting  his  brows. 

"  Sounds  as  though  he  's  trying  to  sing,"  said  the 
mate,  as,  after  some  delay,  a  heavily-laden  boat 
put  off  from  the  stairs  and  made  slowly  for  them. 
"  No,  he  ain't;  he  's  screaming." 

There  was  no  longer  any  doubt  about  it.     The 
respectable    and    greatly-trusted    Sam    was   letting 
off   a   series   of   wild 
howls     which     would 
have    done    credit    to 
a     penny-gaff     Zulu, 
and      was      evidently 
very     much     out     of 
temper    about    some- 
thing. 

"Ahoy,    Thistle! 
Ahoy !  "  bellowed  the 
waterman,     as     he 
neared   the 
"  Chuck  us  a 
quick !  " 

The  mate  threw 
him  one,  and  the  boat  came  alongside.  It  was 
then  seen  that  another  waterman,  using  impatient 
and  deplorable  language,  was  forcibly  holding  Sam 
down  in  the  boat. 

"  What 's  he  done  ?    What 's  the  row  ?  "  demanded 
the  mate. 

"  Done?"  said  the  waterman,  in  disgust.    "Done? 

He  's  'ad  a  small  lemon,  an'  it 's  got  into  his  silly 

old  head.    He  's  making  all  this  fuss  'cos  he  wanted 

to  set  the  pub  on  fire,  an'  they  would  n't  let  him. 

[231] 


schooner, 
rope  — 


Sam 


MANY    CARGOES 

Man  ashore  told  us  they  belonged  to  the  Good 
Intent,  but  I  know  they  're  your  men." 

"  Sam !  "  roared  the  skipper,  with  a  sinking  heart, 
as  his  glance  fell  on  the  recumbent  figures  in  the 
boat;  "  come  aboard  at  once,  you  drunken  disgrace! 
D'ye  hear?" 

"  I  can't  leave  him,"  said  Sam,  whimpering. 

"  Leave  who?  "  growled  the  skipper. 

"  Him,"  said  Sam,  placing  his  arms  round  the 
waterman's  neck.  "  Him  an'  me  's  like  brothers." 

"Get  up,  you  old  loonatic!"  snarled  the  water- 
man, extricating  himself  with  difficulty,  and  forcing 
the  other  towards  the  side.  "  Now,  up  you  go !  " 

Aided  by  the  shoulders  of  the  waterman  and  the 
hands  of  his  superior  officers,  Sam  went  up,  and 
then  the  waterman  turned  his  attention  to  the  re- 
mainder of  his  fares,  who  were  snoring  contentedly 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

"Now,  then!"  he  cried;  "look  alive  with  you! 
D'  ye  hear?  Wake  up !  wake  up !  Kick  'em,  Bill !  " 

"  I  can't  kick  no  'arder,"  grumbled  the  other 
waterman. 

"  What  the  devil 's  the  matter  with  'em  ?  "  stormed 
the  master  of  the  Thistle.  "  Chuck  a  pail  of  water 
over  'em,  Joe !  " 

Joe  obeyed  with  gusto ;  and,  as  he  never  had  much 
of  a  head  for  details,  bestowed  most  of  it  upon  the 
watermen.  Through  the  row  which  ensued  the 
Thistle's  crew  snored  peacefully,  and  at  last  were 
handed  up  over  the  sides  like  sacks  of  potatoes, 
and  the  indignant  watermen  pulled  back  to  the 
stairs. 

..     "  Here 's  a  nice  crew  to  win  a  race  with !  "  wailed 
[232] 


OUTSAILED 

the  skipper,  almost  crying  with  rage.  "  Chuck  the 
water  over  'em,  Joe !  Chuck  the  water  over  'em !  " 

Joe  obeyed  willingly,  until  at  length,  to  the  skip- 
per's great  relief,  one  man  stirred,  and,  sitting  up  on 
the  deck,  sleepily  expressed  his  firm  conviction  that 
it  was  raining.  For  a  moment  they  both  had  hopes 
of  him,  but  as  Joe  went  to  the  side  for  another 
bucketful,  he  evidently  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
he  had  been  dreaming,  and,  lying  down  again,  re- 
sumed his  nap.  As  he  did  so  the  first  stroke  of 
Big  Ben  came  booming  down  the  river. 

"  Eleven  o'clock !  "  shouted  the  excited  skipper. 

It  was  too  true.  Before  Big  Ben  had  finished, 
the  neighbouring  church  clocks  commenced  striking 
with  feverish  haste,  and  hurrying  feet  and  hoarse 
cries  we.re  heard  proceeding  from  the  deck  of  the 
Good  Intent. 

"  Loose  the  sails ! "  yelled  the  furious  Tucker. 
"  Loose  the  sails !  Damme,  we  '11  get  under  way 
by  ourselves ! " 

He  ran  forward,  and,  assisted  by  the  mate,  hoisted 
the  jibs,  and  then,  running  back,  cast  off  from  the 
brig,  and  began  to  hoist  the  mainsail.  As  they  dis- 
engaged themselves  from  the  tier,  there  was  just 
sufficient  sail  for  them  to  advance  against  the  tide; 
while  in  front  of  them  the  Good  Intent,  shaking  out 
sail  after  sail,  stood  boldly  down  the  river. 

"  This  was  the  way  of  it,"  said  Sam,  as  he  stood 
before  the  grim  Tucker  at  six  o'clock  the  next 
morning,  surrounded  by  his  mates.  "  He  came  into 
the  '  Town  o'  Berwick,'  where  we  was,  as  nice  a 
spoken  little  chap  as  ever  you  'd  wish  to  see.  He 

[233] 


MANY    CARGOES 

said  he  'd  been  a-looking  at  the  Good  Intent,  and 
he  thought  it  was  the  prettiest  little  craft  'e  ever 
seed,  and  the  exact  image  of  one  his  dear  brother, 
which  was  a  missionary,  'ad,  and  he  'd  like  to  stand 
a  drink  to  every  man  of  her  crew.  Of  course,  we 
all  said  we  was  the  crew  direckly,  an'  all  I  can 
remember  arter  that  is  two  coppers  an'  a  little  boy 
trying  to  giv'  me  the  frog's  march,  an'  somebody 
chucking  pails  o'  water  over  me.  It 's  crool  'ard 
losing  a  race,  what  we  did  n't  know  nothink  about, 
in  this  way ;  but  it  warn't  our  fault  —  it  warn't, 
indeed.  It 's  my  belief  that  the  little  man  was  a 
missionary  of  some  sort  hisself,  and  wanted  to 
convert  us,  an'  that  was  his  way  of  starting  on  the 
job.  It 's  all  very  well  for  the  mate  to  have  high- 
stirriks;  but  it's  quite  true,  every  word  of  it,  an' 
if  you  go  an'  ask  at  the  pub  they  '11  tell  you  the 
same." 


[234] 


MATED 

THE  schooner  Falcon  was  ready  for  sea. 
The  last  bale  of  general  cargo  had  just 
been  shipped,  and  a  few  hairy,  unkempt 
seamen  were  busy  putting  on  the  hatches  under 
the  able  profanity  of  the  mate. 

"  All  clear?  "  inquired  the  master,  a  short,  ruddy- 
faced  man  of  about  thirty-five.  "  Cast  off  there !  " 

"  Ain't  you  going  to  wait  for  the  passengers, 
then?"  inquired  the  mate. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  the  skipper,  whose  features 
were  working  with  excitement.  "  They  won't  come 
now,  I  'm  sure  they  won't.  We  '11  lose  the  tide 
if  we  don't  look  sharp." 

He  turned  aside  to  give  an  order  just  as  a  buxom 
young  woman,  accompanied  by  a  loutish  boy,  a 
band-box,  and  several  other  bundles,  came  hurrying 
on  to  the  jetty. 

"  Well,  here  we  are,  Cap'n  Evans,"  said  the  girl, 
springing  lightly  on  to  the  deck.  "  I  thought  we 
should  never  get  here ;  the  cabman  did  n't  seem 
to  know  the  way ;  but  I  knew  you  would  n't  go 
without  us." 

"  Here  you  are,"  said  the  skipper,  with  attempted 
cheerfulness,  as  he  gave  the  girl  his  right  hand, 
while  his  left  strayed  vaguely  in  the  direction  of 

[235] 


MANY    CARGOES 

the  boy's  ear,  which  was  coldly  withheld  from  him. 
"  Go  down  below,  and  the  mate  '11  show  you  your 
cabin.  Bill,  this  is  Miss  Cooper,  a  lady  friend  o' 
mine,  and  her  brother." 

The  mate,  acknowledging  the  introduction,  led 
the  way  to  the  cabin,  where  they  remained  so 
long  that  by  the  time  they  came  on  deck  again 
the  schooner  was  off  Limehouse,  slipping  along  well 
under  a  light  wind. 

"  How  do  you  like  the  state-room  ?  "  inquired 
the  skipper,  who  was  at  the  wheel. 

"  Pretty  fair,"  replied  Miss  Cooper.  "  It 's  a  big 
name  for  it  though,  ain't  it?  Oh,  what  a  large 
ship!" 

She  ran  to  the  side  to  gaze  at  a  big  liner,  and  as 
far  as  Gravesend  besieged  the  skipper  and  mate 
with  questions  concerning  the  various  craft.  At 
the  mate's  suggestion  they  had  tea  on  deck,  at  which 
meal  William  Henry  Cooper  became  a  source  of 
much  discomfort  to  his  host  by  his  remarkable  dis- 
coveries anent  the  fauna  of  lettuce.  Despite  his 
efforts,  however,  and  the  cloud  under  which  Evans 
seemed  to  be  labouring,  the  meal  was  voted  a  big 
success ;  and  after  it  was  over  they  sat  laughing  and 
chatting  until  the  air  got  chilly,  and  the  banks  of  the 
river  were  lost  in  the  gathering  darkness.  At  ten 
o'clock  they  retired  for  the  night,  leaving  Evans 
and  the  mate  on  deck. 

"Nice  gal,  that,"  said  the  mate,  looking  at  the 
skipper,  who  was  leaning  moodily  on  the  wheel. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  replied  he.  "  Bill,"  he  continued, 
turning  suddenly  towards  the  mate.  "  I'm  in  a. 
deuce  of  a  mess.  You  've  got  a  good  square  head 


MATED 

on  your  shoulders.  Now,  what  on  earth  am  I  to  do? 
Of  course  you  can  see  how  the  land  lays?  " 

"  Of  course,"  said  the  mate,  who  was  not  going 
to  lose  his  reputation  by  any  display  of  ignorance. 
"Anyone  could  see  it,"  he  added. 

"The  question  is  what's  to  be  done?"  said  the 
skipper. 

"  That 's  the  question,"  said  the  mate  guardedly. 

"  I  feel  that  worried,"  said  Evans,  "  that  I  've 
actually  thought  of  getting  into  collision,  or  running 
the  ship  ashore.  Fancy  them  two  women  meeting 
at  Llandalock." 

Such  a  sudden  light  broke  in  upon  the  square 
head  of  the  mate,  that  he  nearly  whistled  with  the 
brightness  of  it. 

"  But  you  ain't  engaged  to  this  one  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  We  're  to  be  married  in  August,"  said  the 
skipper  desperately.  "  That 's  my  ring  on  her 
finger." 

"  But  you  're  going  to  marry  Mary  Jones  in  Sep- 
tember," expostulated  the  mate.  "  You  can't  marry 
both  of  'em." 

"That's  what  I  say,"  replied  Evans;  "that's 
what  I  keep  telling  myself,  but  it  don't  seem  to 
bring  much  comfort.  I  'm  too  soft-'earted  where 
wimmen  is  concerned,  Bill,  an'  that 's  the  truth  of 
it.  D'reckly  I  get  alongside  of  a  nice  gal  my  arm 
goes  creeping  round  her  before  I  know  what  it 's 
doing." 

"  What  on  earth  made  you  bring  the  girl  on  the 
ship?  "  inquired  the  mate.  "  The  other  one  's  sure 
to  be  on  the  quay  to  meet  you  as  usual." 

"  T  could  n't  help  it,"  groaned  the  skipper;  "  she 

[  23?  1 


MANY    CARGOES 

would  come ;   she  can  be  very  determined  when  she 
likes.     She  's  awful  gone  on  me,  Bill." 

"  So  's  the  other  one  apparently,"  said  the  mate. 

"  I  can't  think  what  it  is  the  gals  see  in  me,"  said 
the  other  mournfully.  "  Can  you?  " 

"  No,  I  'm  blamed  if  I  can,"  replied  the  mate 
frankly. 

"  I  don't  take  no  credit  for  it,  Bill,"  said  the 
skipper,  "  not  a  bit.  My  father  was  like  it  before 
me.  The  worry  's  killing  me." 

"  Well,  which  are  you  going  to  have?  "  inquired 
the  mate.  "  Which  do  you  like  the  best  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  an'  that 's  a  fact,"  said  the  skipper. 
"  They  've  both  got  money  coming  to  'em ;  when 
I  'm  in  Wales  I  like  Mary  Jones  best,  and  when 
I  'm  in  London  it 's  Janey  Cooper.  It 's  dreadful 
to  be  like  that,  Bill." 

"  It  is,"  said  the  mate  drily.  "  I  would  n't  be 
in  your  shoes  when  those  two  gals  meet  for  a 
fortune.  Then  you  '11  have  old  Jones  and  her 
brothers  to  tackle,  too.  Seems  to  me  things  '11  be 
a  bit  lively." 

"  I  hev  thought  of  being  took  sick,  and  staying 
in  my  bunk,  Bill,"  suggested  Evans  anxiously. 

"  An'  having  the  two  of  'em  to  nurse  you,"  re- 
torted Bill.  "  Nice  quiet  time  for  an  invalid." 

Evans  made  a  gesture  of  despair. 

"  How  would  it  be,"  said  the  mate,  after  a  long 
pause,  and  speaking  very  slowly;  "  how  would  it  be 
if  I  took  this  one  off  your  hands." 

'  You  could  n't  do  it,  Bill,"  said  the  skipper 
decidedly.  "  Not  while  she  knew  I  was  above 
ground." 


MATED 

/-  ••• 

"  Well,  I  can  try,"  returned  the  mate  shortly. 
"  I  've  took  rather  a  fancy  to  the  girl.  Is  it  a 
bargain  ?  " 

"  It  is,"  said  the  skipper,  shaking  hands  upon  it. 
"  If  you  git  me  out  of  this  hole,  Bill,  I  '11  remember 
it  the  longest  day  I  live." 

With  these  words  he  went  below,  and,  after 
cautiously  undoing  W.  H.  Cooper,  who  had  slept 
himself  into  a  knot  that  a  professional  contortionist 
would  have  envied,  tumbled  in  beside  him  and  went 
to  sleep. 

His  heart  almost  failed  him  when  he  encountered 
the  radiant  Jane  at  breakfast  in  the  morning,  but 
he  concealed  his  feelings  by  a  strong  effort;  and 
after  the  meal  was  finished,  and  the  passengers  had 
gone  on  deck,  he  laid  hold  of  the  mate,  who  was 
following,  and  drew  him  into  the  cabin. 

"  You  have  n't  washed  yourself  this  morning," 
he  said,  eyeing  him  closely.  "  How  do  you  s'pose 
you  are  going  to  make  an  impression  if  you  don't 
look  smart?  " 

"  Well,  I  look  tidier  than  you  do,"  growled  the 
mate. 

"  Of  course  you  do,"  said  the  wily  Evans.  "  I  'm 
going  to  give  you  all  the  chances  I  can.  Now  you 
go  and  shave  yourself,  and  here  —  take  it." 

He  passed  the  surprised  mate  a  brilliant  red  silk 
tie,  embellished  with  green  spots. 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  mate  deprecatingly. 

"  Take  it,"  repeated  Evans;  "  if  anything  '11  fetch 
her  it  '11  be  that  tie;  and  here  's  a  couple  of  collars 
for  you ;  they  're  a  new  shape,  quite  the  rage  down 
Poplar  way  just  now." 

[  239] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  It 's  robbing  you,"  said  the  mate,  "  and  it 's  no 
good  either.  I  ain't  got  a  decent  suit  of  clothes  to 
my  back." 

Evans  looked  up,  and  their  eyes  met;  then,  with 
a  catch  in  his  breath,  he  turned  away,  and  after 
some  hesitation  went  to  his  locker,  and  bringing 
out  a  new  suit,  bought  for  the  edification  of  Miss 
Jones,  handed  it  silently  to  the  mate. 

"  I  can't  take  all  these  things  without  giving  you 
something  for  'em,"  said  the  mate.  "  Here,  wait 
a  bit." 

He  dived  into  his  cabin,  and,  after  a  hasty  search, 
brought  out  some  garments  which  he  placed  on  the 
table  before  his  commander. 

"  I  would  n't  wear  'em,  no,  not  to  drown  myself 
in,"  declared  Evans  after  a  brief  glance;  "they 
ain't  even  decent." 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  the  mate;  "  it  '11  be 
more  of  a  contrast  with  me." 

After  a  slight  contest  the  skipper  gave  way,  and 
the  mate,  after  an  elaborate  toilette,  went  on  deck 
and  began  to  make  himself  agreeable,  while  his 
chief  skulked  below  trying  to  muster  up  courage 
to  put  in  an  appearance. 

"  Where 's  the  captain  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Cooper, 
after  his  absence  had  been  so  prolonged  as  to  be- 
come noticeable. 

"  He 's  below,  dressin',  I  b'leeve,"  replied  the 
mate  simply. 

Miss  Cooper,  glancing  at  his  attire,  smiled  softly 

to  herself,  and  prepared   for  something  startling, 

and  she  got  it;    for  a  more  forlorn,  sulky-looking 

object  than  the  skipper,  when  he  did  appear,  had 

[240] 


MATED 

never  been  seen  on  the  deck  of  the  Falcon,  and  his 
London  betrothed  glanced  at  him  hot  with  shame 
and  indignation. 

"  Whatever  have  you  got  those  things  on  for  ?  " 
she  whispered. 

"  Work,  my  dear  —  work,"  replied  the  skipper. 

"  Well,  mind  you  don't  lose  any  of  the  pieces/' 
said  the  dear  suavely ;  "  you  might  n't  be  able  to 
match  that  cloth." 

"  I  '11  look  after  that,"  said  the  skipper,  redden- 
ing. "  You  must  excuse  me  talkin'  to  you  now. 
I  'm  busy." 

Miss  Cooper  looked  at  him  indignantly,  and,  bit- 
ing her  lip,  turned  away,  and  started  a  desperate 
flirtation  with  the  mate,  to  punish  him.  Evans 
watched  them  with  mingled  feelings  as  he  busied 
himself  with  various  small  jobs  on  the  deck,  his 
wrath  being  raised  to  boiling  point  by  the  behaviour 
of  the  cook,  who,  being  a  poor  hand  at  disguising 
his  feelings,  came  out  of  the  galley  several  times  to 
look  at  him. 

From  this  incident  a  coolness  sprang  up  between 
the  skipper  and  the  girl,  which  increased  hourly. 
At  times  the  skipper  weakened,  but  the  watchful 
mate  was  always  on  hand  to  prevent  mischief. 
Owing  to  his  fostering  care  Evans  was  generally 
busy,  and  always  gruff;  and  Miss  Cooper,  who  was 
used  to  the  most  assiduous  attentions  from  him, 
knew  not  whether  to  be  most  bewildered  or  most 
indignant.  Four  times  in  one  day  did  he  remark 
in  her  hearing  that  a  sailor's  ship  was  his  sweet- 
heart, while  his  treatment  of  his  small  prospective 
brother-in-law,  when  he  expostulated  with  him  on 
16  [  241  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

the  state  of  his  wardrobe,  filled  that  hitherto  pam- 
pered youth  with  amazement.  At  last,  on  the  fourth 
night  out,  as  the  little  schooner  was  passing  the 
coast  of  Cornwall,  the  mate  came  up  to  him  as  he 
was  steering,  and  patted  him  heavily  on  the  back. 

"  It 's  all  right,  cap'n,"  said  he.  "  You  've  lost 
the  prettiest  little  girl  in  England/' 

"  What  ?  "  said  the  skipper,  in  incredulous  tones. 

"  Fact,"  replied  the  other.  "  Here  's  your  ring 
back.  I  would  n't  let  her  wear  it  any  longer." 

"  However  did  you  do  it?  "  inquired  Evans,  tak- 
ing the  ring  in  a  dazed  fashion. 

"  Oh,  easy  as  possible,"  said  the  mate.  "  She 
liked  me  best,  that 's  all." 

"  But  what  did  you  say  to  her  ?  "  persisted  Evans. 

The  other  reflected. 

"  I  can't  call  to  mind  exactly,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  But,  you  may  rely  upon  it,  I  said  everything  I 
could  against  you.  But  she  never  did  care  much 
for  you.  She  told  me  so  herself." 

"  I  wish  you  joy  of  your  bargain,"  said  Evans 
solemnly,  after  a  long  pause. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  the  mate 
sharply. 

"  A  girl  like  that,"  said  the  skipper,  with  a  lump 
in  his  throat,  "  who  can  carry  on  with  two  men  at 
once  ain't  worth  having.  She 's  not  my  money, 
that 's  all." 

The  mate  looked  at  him  in  honest  bewilderment. 

"  Mark  my  words,"  continued  the  skipper  loftily, 
"  you  '11  live  to  regret  it.  A  girl  like  that 's  got 
no  ballast.  She  '11  always  be  running  after  fresh 
neckties." 

[242] 


MATED 

0r 

"  You  put  it  down  to  the  necktie,  do  you  ? " 
sneered  the  mate  wrathfully. 

"  That  and  the  clothes,  cert'nly,"  replied  the 
skipper. 

"  Well,  you  're  wrong,"  said  the  mate.  "  A  lot 
you  know  about  girls.  It  was  n't  your  old  clothes, 
and  it  was  n't  att  your  bad  behaviour  to  her  since 
she  's  been  aboard.  You  may  as  well  know  first  as 
last.  She  would  n't  have  nothing  to  do  with  me  at 
first,  so  I  told  her  all  about  Mary  Jones." 

"  You  told  her  that?  "  cried  the  skipper  fiercely. 

"  I  did,"  replied  the  other.  "  She  was  pretty  wild 
at  first ;  but  then  the  comic  side  of  it  struck  her  — 
you  wearing  them  old  clothes,  and  going  about  as 
you  did.  She  used  to  watch  you  until  she  could  n't 
stand  it  any  longer,  and  then  go  down  in  the 
cabin  and  laugh.  Wonderful  spirits  that  girl 's 
got.  Hush !  here  she  is !  " 

As  he  spoke  the  girl  came  on  deck,  and,  seeing 
the  two  men  talking  together,  remained  at  a  short 
distance  from  them. 

"  It 's  all  right,  Jane,"  said  the  mate;  "  I  've  told 
him." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Miss  Cooper,  with  a  little  gasp. 

"  I  can't  bear  deceit,"  said  the  mate;  "  and  now 
it 's  off  his  mind,  he 's  so  happy  he  can't  bear 
himself." 

The  latter  part  of  this  assertion  seemed  to  be 
more  warranted  by  facts  than  the  former,  but 
Evans  made  a  choking  noise,  which  he  intended 
as  a  sign  of  unbearable  joy,  and,  relinquishing  the 
wheel  to  the  mate,  walked  forward.  The  clear  sky 
•was  thick  with  stars,  and  a  mind  at  ease  might  have 

[243] 


MANY    CARGOES 

'found  enjoyment  in  the  quiet  beauty  of  the  night, 
but  the  skipper  was  too  interested  in  the  behaviour 
of  the  young  couple  at  the  wheel  to  give  it  a 
thought.  Immersed  in  each  other,  they  forgot  him 
entirely,  and  exchanged  little  playful  slaps  and 
pushes,  which  incensed  him  beyond  description. 
Several  times  he  was  on  the  point  of  exercising 
his  position  as  commander  and  ordering  the  mate 
below,  but  in  the  circumstances  interference  was 
impossible,  and,  with  a  low-voiced  good-night,  he 
went  below.  Here  his  gaze  fell  on  William  Henry, 
who  was  slumbering  peacefully,  and,  with  a  hazy 
idea  of  the  eternal  fitness  of  things,  he  raised  the 
youth  in  his  arms,  and,  despite  his  sleepy  protests, 
deposited  him  in  the  mate's  bunk.  Then,  with  head 
and  heart  both  aching,  he  retired  for  the  night. 

There  was  a  little  embarrassment  next  day,  but 
it  soon  passed  off,  and  the  three  adult  inmates  of 
the  cabin  got  on  quite  easy  terms  with  each  other. 
The  most  worried  person  aft  was  the  boy,  who  had 
not  been  taken  into  their  confidence,  and  whose  face, 
when  his  sister  sat  with  the  mate's  arm  around  her 
waist,  presented  to  the  skipper  a  perfect  study  in 
emotions. 

"  I  feel  quite  curious  to  see  this  Miss  Jones,"  said 
Miss  Cooper  amiably,  as  they  sat  at  dinner. 

"  She  '11  be  on  the  quay,  waving  her  handkerchief 
to  him,"  said  the  mate.  "  We  '11  be  in  to-morrow 
afternoon,  and  then  you  '11  see  her." 

As  it  happened,  the  mate  was  a  few  hours  out  in 
his  reckoning,  for  by  the  time  the  Falcon's  bows 
were  laid  for  the  small  harbour  it  was  quite  dark, 
and  the  little  schooner  glided  in,  guided  by  the  two 

[244] 


MATED 

lights  which  marked  the  entrance.  The  quay,  seen 
in  the  light  of  a  few  scattered  lamps,  looked  dreary 
enough,  and,  except  for  two  or  three  indistinct  fig- 
ures, appeared  to  be  deserted.  Beyond,  the  broken 
lights  of  the  town  stood  out  more  clearly  as  the 
schooner  crept  slowly  over  the  dark  water  towards 
her  berth. 

"  Fine  night,  cap'n,"  said  the  watchman,  as  the 
schooner  came  gently  alongside  the  quay. 

The  skipper  grunted  assent.  He  was  peering 
anxiously  at  the  quay. 

"  It 's  too  late,"  said  the  mate.  "  You  could  n't 
expect  her  this  time  o'  night.  It 's  ten  o'clock." 

"  I  '11  go  over  in  the  morning,"  said  Evans,  who, 
now  that  things  had  been  adjusted,  was  secretly  dis- 
appointed that  Miss  Cooper  had  not  witnessed  the 
meeting.  "  If  you  're  not  going  ashore,  we  might 
have  a  hand  o'  cards  as  soon 's  we  're  made 
fast." 

The  mate  assenting,  they  went  below,  and  were 
soon  deep  in  the  mysteries  of  three-hand  cribbage. 
Evans,  who  was  a  good  player,  surpassed  himself, 
and  had  just  won  the  first  game,  the  others  being 
nowhere,  when  a  head  was  thrust  down  the  com- 
panion-way, and  a  voice  like  a  strained  foghorn 
called  the  captain  by  name. 

"  Ay,  ay !  "  yelled  Evans,  laying  down  his  hand. 

"  I  '11  come  down,  cap'n,"  said  the  voice,  and  the 
mate  just  had  time  to  whisper  "  Old  Jones  "  to  Miss 
Cooper,  when  a  man  of  mighty  bulk  filled  up  the 
doorway  of  the  little  cabin,  and  extended  a  huge 
paw  to  Evans  and  the  mate.  He  then  looked  at  the 
lady,  and,  breathing  hard,  waited. 

[2451 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Young  lady  o'  the  mate's,"  said  Evans  breath- 
lessly, — "  Miss  Cooper.  Sit  down,  cap'n.  Get 
the  gin  out,  Bill." 

"  Not  for  me,"  said  Captain  Jones  firmly,  but 
with  an  obvious  effort. 

The  surprise  of  Evans  and  the  mate  admitted  of 
no  concealment;  but  it  passed  unnoticed  by  their 
visitor,  who,  fidgeting  in  his  seat,  appeared  to  be 
labouring  with  some  mysterious  problem.  After  a 
long  pause,  during  which  all  watched  him  anxiously, 
he  reached  over  the  table  and  shook  hands  with 
Evans  again. 

"  Put  it  there,  cap'n,"  said  Evans,  much  affected 
by  this  token  of  esteem. 

The  old  man  rose  and  stood  looking  at  him,  with 
his  hand  on  his  shoulder;  he  then  shook  hands  for 
the  third  time,  and  patted  him  encouragingly  on  the 
back. 

"  Is  anything  the  matter?  "  demanded  the  skipper 
of  the  Falcon  as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  alarmed  by 
these  manifestations  of  feeling.  "  Is  Mary  —  is  she 
ill?" 

"  Worse  than  that,"  said  the  other  —  "  worse  'n 
that,  my  poor  boy;  she's  married  a  lobster!" 

The  effect  of  this  communication  upon  Evans 
was  tremendous;  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
he  was  more  surprised  than  Miss  Cooper,  who,  ut- 
terly unversed  in  military  terms,  strove  in  vain  to 
realize  the  possibility  of  such  a  mesalliance,  as  she 
gazed  wildly  at  the  speaker  and  squeaked  with 
astonishment. 

"  When  was  it?  "  asked  Evans  at  last,  in  a  dull 
yoice. 

[246] 


MATED 
> 

"  Thursday  fortnight,  at  ha'  past  eleven,"  said 
the  old  man.  "  He 's  a  sergeant  in  the  line.  I 
would  have  written  to  you,  but  I  thought  it  was 
best  to  come  and  break  it  to  you  gently.  Cheer 
up,  my  boy ;  there  's  more  than  one  Mary  Jones 
in  the  world." 

With  this  undeniable  fact,  Captain  Jones  waved 
a  farewell  to  the  party  and  went  off,  leaving  them 
to  digest  his  news.  For  some  time  they  sat  still, 
the  mate  and  Miss  Cooper  exchanging  whispers, 
until  at  length,  the  stillness  becoming  oppressive, 
they  withdrew  to  their  respective  berths,  leaving 
the  skipper  sitting  at  the  table,  gazing  hard  at  a 
knot  in  the  opposite  locker. 

For  long  after  their  departure  he  sat  thus,  amid 
a  deep  silence,  broken  only  by  an  occasional  giggle 
from  the  state-room,  or  an  idiotic  sniggering  from 
the  direction  of  the  mate's  bunk,  until,  recalled  to 
mundane  affairs  by  the  lamp  burning  itself  out,  he 
went,  in  befitting  gloom,  to  bed. 


I  247  ] 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

*<  T"F  you  had  n't  asked  me,"  said  the  night  watch- 
man, "  I  should  never  have  told  you ;    but, 

JL.  seeing  as  you  've  put  the  question  point  blank, 
I  will  tell  you  my  experience  of  it.  You  're  the  first 
person  I  've  ever  opened  my  lips  to  upon  the  subject, 
for  it  was  so  eggstraordinary  that  all  our  chaps 
swore  as  they  'd  keep  it  to  theirselves  for  fear  of 
being  disbelieved  and  jeered  at. 

"  It  happened  in  '84,  on  board  the  steamer  George 
Washington,  bound  from  Liverpool  to  New  York. 
The  first  eight  days  passed  without  anything  un- 
usual happening,  but  on  the  ninth  I  was  standing 
aft  with  the  first  mate,  hauling  in  the  log,  when  we 
hears  a  yell  from  aloft,  an'  a  chap  what  we  called 
Stuttering  Sam  come  down  as  if  he  was  possessed, 
and  rushed  up  to  the  mate  with  his  eyes  nearly 
starting  out  of  his  'ed. 

"  '  There 's  the  s-s-s-s-s-s-sis-sis-sip ! '    ses  he. 

"  '  The  what  ?  '  ses  the  mate. 
'  The  s-s-sea-sea-sssssip ! ' 

'  Look  here,  my  lad/  ses  the  mate,  taking  out  a 
pocket-handkerchief  an'  wiping  his  face,  '  you  just 
tarn  your  'ed  away  till  you  get  your  breath.    It 's 
[248] 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

like  opening  a  bottle  o'  soda  water  to  stand  talking 
to  you.  Now,  what  is  it  ?  ' 

"  '  It 's  the  ssssssis-sea-sea-sea-sarpint ! '  ses  Sam, 
with  a  bust. 

"  '  Rather  a  long  un  by  your  account  of  it,'  ses 
the  mate,  with  a  grin. 

"  '  What 's  the  matter?  '  ses  the  skipper,  who  just 
came  up. 

" '  This  man  has  seen  the  sea-sarpint,  sir,  that 's 
all/  ses  the  mate. 

"  '  Y-y-yes,'  said  Sam,  with  a  sort  o'  sob. 

"  '  Well,  there  ain't  much  doing  just  now/  ses 
the  skipper,  '  so  you  'd  better  get  a  slice  o'  bread 
and  feed  it.' 

"  The  mate  bust  out  larfing,  an'  I  could  see  by 
the  way  the  skipper  smiled  he  was  rather  tickled  at 
it  himself. 

"  The  skipper  an'  the  mate  was  still  larfing  very 
hearty  when  we  heard  a  dreadful  'owl  from  the 
bridge,  an'  one  o'  the  chaps  suddenly  leaves  the 
wheel,  jumps  on  to  the  deck,  and  bolts  below  as 
though  he  was  mad.  T'  other  one  follows  'm 
a'most  d'reckly,  and  the  second  mate  caught  hold 
o'  the  wheel  as  he  left  it,  and  called  out  something 
we  could  n't  catch  to  the  skipper. 

"'What  the  d 's  the  matter?'  yells  the 

skipper. 

"  The  mate  pointed  to  starboard;  but  as  'is  'and 
was  shaking  so  that  one  minute  it  was  pointing 
to  the  sky  an'  the  next  to  the  bottom  o'  the  sea, 
it  was  n't  much  of  a  guide  to  us.  Even  when  he 
got  it  steady  we  could  n't  see  anything,  till  all  of  a 
sudden,  about  two  miles  off,  something  like  a  tele- 

[249] 


MANY    CARGOES 

graph  pole  stuck  up  out  of  the  water  for  a  few- 
seconds,  and  then  ducked  down  again  and  made 
straight  for  the  ship. 

"  Sam  was  the  fust  to  speak,  and,  without  wast- 
ing time  stuttering  or  stammering,  he  said  he  'd  go 
down  and  see  about  that  bit  o'  bread,  an'  he  went 
afore  the  skipper  or  the  mate  could  stop  'im. 

"  In  less  than  'arf  a  minute  there  was  only  the 
three  officers  an'  me  on  deck.  The  second  mate 
was  holding  the  wheel,  the  skipper  was  holding  his 
breath,  and  the  first  mate  was  holding  me.  It  was 
one  o'  the  most  exciting  times  I  ever  had. 

"  '  Better  fire  the  gun  at  it/  ses  the  skipper,  in  a 
trembling  voice,  looking  at  the  little  brass  cannon 
we  had  for  signalling. 

"  '  Better  not  give  him  any  cause  for  offence/ 
ses  the  mate,  shaking  his  head. 

"  '  I  wonder  whether  it  eats  men/  ses  the  skipper. 
'  Perhaps  it  '11  come  for  some  of  us.' 

" '  There  ain't  many  on  deck  for  it  to  choose 
from/  ses  the  mate,  looking  at  'im  significant  like. 
'  That 's  true/  ses  the  skipper,  very  thoughtful ; 
'  I  '11  go  an'  send  all  hands  on  deck.  As  captain, 
it 's  my  duty  not  to  leave  the  ship  till  the  last,  if 
I  can  anyways  help  it.' 

"  How  he  got  them  on  deck  has  always  been  a 
wonder  to  me,  but  he  did  it.  He  was  a  brutal  sort 
o'  a  man  at  the  best  o'  times,  an'  he  carried  on  so 
much  that  I  s'pose  they  thought  even  the  sarpint 
could  n't  be  worse.  Anyway,  up  they  came,  an'  we 
all  stood  in  a  crowd  watching  the  sarpint  as  it  came 
closer  and  closer. 

"AYe  reckoned  it  to  be  about  a  hundred  yards 
[250] 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

long,  an'  it  was  about  the  most  awful-looking 
creetur  you  could  ever  imagine.  If  you  took  all 
the  ugliest  things  in  the  earth  and  mixed  'em  up 
—  gorillas  an'  the  like  —  you  'd  only  make  a  hangel 
compared  to  what  that  was.  It  just  hung  off  our 
quarter,  keeping  up  with  us,  and  every  now  and 
then  it  would  open  its  mouth  and  let  us  see  about 
four  yards  down  its  throat. 

"  '  It  seems  peaceable/  whispers  the  fust  mate, 
arter  awhile. 

"  '  P'raps  it  ain't  hungry/  ses  the  skipper.  '  We  'd 
better  not  let  it  get  peckish.  Try  it  with  a  loaf  o' 
bread/ 

"  The  cook  went  below  and  fetched  up  half-a- 
dozen,  an'  one  o'  the  chaps,  plucking  up  courage, 
slung  it  over  the  side,  an'  afore  you  could  say 
'  Jack  Robinson '  the  sarpint  had  woffled  it  up  an' 
was  looking  for  more.  It  stuck  its  head  up  and 
came  close  to  the  side  just  like  the  swans  in  Vic- 
toria Park,  an'  it  kept  that  game  up  until  it  had 
'ad  ten  loaves  an'  a  hunk  o'  pork. 

"  '  I  'm  afraid  we  're  encouraging  it/  ses  the 
skipper,  looking  at  it  as  it  swam  alongside  with 
an  eye  as  big  as  a  saucer  cocked  on  the  ship. 

"  '  P'raps  it  '11  go  away  soon  if  we  don't  take  no 
more  notice  of  it/  ses  the  mate.  '  Just  pretend  it 
is  n't  here.' 

"  Well,  we  did  pretend  as  well  as  we  could ;  but 
everybody  hugged  the  port  side  o'  the  ship,  and  was 
ready  to  bolt  down  below  at  the  shortest  notice; 
and  at  last,  when  the  beast  got  craning  its  neck  up 
over  the  side  as  though  it  was  looking  for  some- 
thing, we  gave  it  some  more  grub.  We  thought  if 

[251] 


MANY    CARGOES 

we  did  n't  give  it  he  might  take  it,  and  take  it  off 
the  wrong  shelf,  so  to  speak.  But,  as  the  mate 
said,  it  was  encouraging  it,  and  long  arter  it  was 
dark  we  could  hear  it  snorting  and  splashing  behind 
us,  until  at  last  it  'ad  such  an  effect  on  us  the  mate 
sent  one  o'  the  chaps  down  to  rouse  the  skipper. 

"  '  I  don't  think  it  '11  do  no  'arm,'  ses  the  skipper, 
peering  over  the  side,  and  speaking  as  though  he 
knew  all  about  sea-sarpints  and  their  ways. 

"  '  S'pose  it  puts  its  'ead  over  the  side  and  takes 
one  o'  the  men,'  ses  the  mate. 

"  '  Let  me  know  at  once,'  ses  the  skipper  firmly ; 
an'  he  went  below  agin  and  left  us. 

"  Well,  I  was  jolly  glad  when  eight  bells  struck, 
an'  I  went  below;  an'  if  ever  I  hoped  anything  I 
hoped  that  when  I  go  up  that  ugly  brute  would 
have  gone,  but,  instead  o'  that,  when  I  went  on 
deck  it  was  playing  alongside  like  a  kitten  a'most, 
an'  one  o'  the  chaps  told  me  as  the  skipper  had 
been  feeding  it  agin. 

"  '  It 's  a  wonderful  animal,'  ses  the  skipper,  '  an' 
there  's  none  of  you  now  but  has  seen  the  sea-sar- 
pint;  but  I  forbid  any  man  here  to  say  a  word 
about  it  when  we  get  ashore.' 

"  '  Why  not,  sir  ?  '  ses  the  second  mate. 

" '  Becos  you  would  n't  be  believed,'  said  the 
skipper  sternly.  '  You  might  all  go  ashore  and 
kiss  the  Book  an'  make  affidavits  an'  not  a  soul 
'ud  believe  you.  The  comic  papers  'ud  make  fun 
of  it,  and  the  respectable  papers  'ud  say  it  was  sea- 
weed or  gulls/ 

'  Why  not  take  it  to  New  York  with  us  ?  '  ses  the 
fust  mate  suddenly. 

[252] 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

"  '  What?  '  ses  the  skipper. 

"  '  Feed  it  every  day,'  ses  the  mate,  getting  ex- 
cited, '  and  bait  a  couple  of  shark  hooks  and  keep 
'em  ready,  together  with  some  wire  rope.  Git  'im 
to  foller  us  as  far  as  he  will,  and  then  hook  him. 
We  might  git  him  in  alive  and  show  him  at  a 
sovereign  a  head.  Anyway,  we  can  take  in  his 
carcase  if  we  manage  it  properly.' 

"'By  Jove!  if  we  only  could,'  ses  the  skipper, 
getting  excited  too, 

"  '  We  can  try,'  ses  the  mate.  '  Why,  we  could 
have  noosed  it  this  mornin'  if  we  had  liked;  and 
if  it  breaks  the  lines  we  must  blow  its  head  to 
pieces  with  the  gun.' 

"  It  seemed  a  most  eggstraordinary  thing  to  try 
and  catch  it  that  way;  but  the  beast  was  so  tame, 
and  stuck  so  close  to  us,  that  it  was  n't  quite  so 
ridikilous  as  it  seemed  at  fust. 

"  Arter  a  couple  o'  days  nobody  minded  the  ani- 
mal a  bit,  for  it  was  about  the  most  nervous  thing 
of  its  size  you  ever  saw.  It  had  n't  got  the  soul  of 
a  mouse;  and  one  day  when  the  second  mate,  just 
for  a  lark,  took  the  line  of  the  foghorn  in  his  hand 
and  tooted  it  a  bit,  it  flung  up  its  'ead  in  a  scared 
sort  o'  way,  and,  after  backing  a  bit,  turned  clean 
round  and  bolted. 

"  I  thought  the  skipper  'ud  have  gone  mad.  He 
chucked  over  loaves  o'  bread,  bits  o'  beef  and  pork, 
an'  scores  o'  biskits,  and  by-and-bye,  when  the  brute 
plucked  up  heart  an'  came  arter  us  again,  he  fairly 
beamed  with  joy.  Then  he  gave  orders  that  no- 
body was  to  touch  the  horn  for  any  reason  what- 
ever, not  even  if  there  was  a  fog,  or  chance  of 

[253] 


MANY    CARGOES 


collision,  or  anything  of  the  kind ;  an'  he  also  gave 
orders  that  the  bells  was  n't  to  be  struck,  but  that 
the  bosen  was  just  to  shove  'is  'ead  in  the  fo'c's'le 
and  call  'em  out  instead. 

"  Arter  three  days  had  passed,  and  the  thing  was 
still  follering  us,  everybody  made  certain  of  taking 
it  to  New  York,  an'  I  b'leeve  if  it  had  n't  been  for 

Joe  Cooper  the  question 
about  the  sea-sarpint 
would  ha'  been  settled 
long  ago.  He  was  a 
most  eggstraordinary 
ugly  chap  was  Joe.  He 
had  a  perfic  cartoon  of 
a  face,  an'  he  was  so 
delikit-minded  and  sen- 
sitive about  it  that  if  a 
chap  only  stopped  in  the 
street  and  whistled  as  he 
passed  him,  or  pointed 
him  out  to  a  friend,  he 
didn't  like  it.  He  told 
me  once  when  I  was 
symperthizing  with  him, 
that  the  only  time  a 

woman  ever  spoke  civilly  to  him  was  one  night 
down  Poplar  way  in  a  fog,  an'  he  was  so  'appy 
about  it  that  they  both  walked  into  the  canal  afore 
he  knew  where  they  was. 

"  On  the  fourth  morning,   when   we  was   only 

about  three  days  from   Sandy  Hook,  the  skipper 

got  out  o'  bed  wrong  side,  an'  when  he  went  on 

deck  he  was  ready  to  snap  at  anybody,  an'  as  luck 

[254] 


Joe  Cooper 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

would  have  it,  as  he  walked  a  bit  forrard,  he  sees 
Joe  a-sticking  his  phiz  over  the  side  looking  at  the 
sarpint. 

"  '  What  the  d are  you  doing? '  shouts  the 

skipper.  '  What  do  you  mean  by  it  ?  ' 

"  '  Mean  by  what,  sir  ?  '  asks  Joe. 

"  '  Putting  your  black  ugly  face  over  the  side 
o'  the  ship  an'  frightening  my  sea-sarpint ! '  bel- 
lows the  skipper.  '  You  know  how  easy  it 's 
skeered.' 

"'Frightening  the  sea-sarpint?'  ses  Joe,  trem- 
bling all  over,  an'  turning  very  white. 

"  '  If  I  see  that  face  o'  yours  over  the  side  agin, 
my  lad,'  ses  the  skipper  very  fierce,  '  I  '11  give  it  a 
black  eye.  Now  cut ! ' 

"  Joe  cut,  an'  the  skipper,  having  worked  off 
some  of  his  ill-temper,  went  aft  again  and  began 
to  chat  with  the  mate  quite  pleasant  like.  I  was 
down  below  at  the  time,  an'  did  n't  know  anything 
about  it  for  hours  arter,  and  then  I  heard  it  from 
one  o'  the  firemen.  He  comes  up  to  me  very  mys- 
terious like,  an'  ses,  '  Bill,'  he  ses,  *  you  're  a  pal 
o'  Joe's;  come  down  here  an'  see  what  you  can 
make  of  'im.' 

"  Not  knowing  what  he  meant,  I  follered  'im 
below  to  the  engine-room,  an'  there  was  Joe  sitting 
on  a  bucket  staring  wildly  in  front  of  'im,  and  two 
or  three  of  'em  standing  round  looking  at  'im  with 
their  'eads  on  one  side. 

"  '  He  's  been  like  that  for  three  hours,'  ses  the 
second  engineer  in  a  whisper,  '  dazed  like.' 

"  As  he  spoke  Joe  gave  a  little  shudder ,  'Frighten 
the  sea-sarpint ! '  ses  he,  '  O  Lord ! ' 

[2551 


MANY    CARGOES 

" '  It 's  turned  his  brain,'  ses  one  o'  the  firemen, 
'  he  keeps  saying  nothing  but  that.' 

"  '  If  we  could  only  make  'im  cry,'  ses  the  second 
engineer,  who  had  a  brother  what  was  a  medical 
student,  '  it  might  save  his  reason.  But  how  to  do 
it,  that 's  the  question.' 

"  '  Speak  kind  to  'im,  sir,'  ses  the  fireman.  '  I  '11 
have  a  try  if  you  don't  mind.'  He  cleared  his  throat 
first,  an'  then  he  walks  over  to  Joe  and  puts  his 
hand  on  his  shoulder  an'  ses  very  soft  an'  pitiful  like : 

"  '  Don't  take  on,  Joe,  don't  take  on,  there  's  many 
a  ugly  mug  'ides  a  good  'art.' 

"  Afore  he  could  think  o'  anything  else  to  say, 
Joe  ups  with  his  fist  an'  gives  'im  one  in  the  ribs 
as  nearly  broke  'em.  Then  he  turns  away  'is  'ead 
an'  shivers  again,  an'  the  old  dazed  look  come  back. 

"  '  Joe,'  I  ses,  shaking  him,  '  Joe ! ' 

"  '  Frightened  the  sea-sarpint ! '  whispers  Joe, 
staring. 

"  '  Joe,'  I  ses,  '  Joe.  You  know  me,  I  'm  your 
pal,  Bill.' 

"  '  Ay,  ay,'  ses  Joe,  coming  round  a  bit. 

'  Come  away,'  I  ses,  '  come  an'  git  to  bed,  that 's 
the  best  place  for  you.' 

"  I  took  'im  by  the  sleeve,  and  he  gets  up  quiet 
an'  obedient  and  follers  me  like  a  little  child.  I  got 
'im  straight  into  'is  bunk,  an'  arter  a  time  he  fell 
into  'a  soft  slumber,  an'  I  thought  the  worst  had 
passed,  but  I  was  mistaken.  He  got  up  in  three 
hours'  time  an'  seemed  all  right,  'cept  that  he 
walked  about  as  though  he  was  thinking  very  hard 
about  something,  an'  before  I  could  make  out  what 
it  was  he  had  a  fit. 

[256] 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

"  He  was  in  that  fit  ten  minutes,  an'  he  was  no 
sooner  out  o'  that  one  than  he  was  in  another.  In 
twenty-four  hours  he  had  six  full-sized  fits,  and  I  '11 
allow  I  was  fairly  puzzled.  What  pleasure  he  could 
find  in  tumbling  down  hard  and  stiff  an'  kicking  at 
everybody  an'  everything  I  could  n't  see.  He  'd  be 
standing  quiet  and  peaceable  like  one  minute,  and 
the  next  he  'd  catch  hold  o'  the  nearest  thing  to 
him  and  have  a  bad  fit,  and  lie  on  his  back  and 
kick  us  while  we  was  trying  to  force  open  his  hands 
to  pat  'em. 

"  The  other  chaps  said  the  skipper's  insult  had 
turned  his  brain,  but  I  was  n't  quite  so  soft,  an* 
one  time  when  he  was  alone  I  put  it  to  him. 

"  '  Joe,  old  man/  I  ses,  '  you  an'  me  's  been  very 
good  pals.' 

"  *  Ay,  ay,'  ses  he,  suspicious  like. 

"  '  Joe,'  I  whispers,  *  what 's  yer  little  game?  ' 

"  '  Wodyermean  ?  '  ses  he,  very  short. 

"  '  I  mean  the  fits,'  ses  I,  looking  at  'im  very 
steady.  '  It 's  no  good  looking  hinnercent  like  that, 
'cos  I  see  yer  chewing  soap  with  my  own  eyes.' 

"  '  Soap,'  ses  Joe,  in  a  nasty  sneering  way,  '  you 
would  n't  reckernise  a  piece  if  you  saw  it.' 

"  Arter  that  I  could  see  there  was  nothing  to  be 
got  out  of  'im,  an'  I  just  kept  my  eyes  open  and 
watched.  The  skipper  did  n't  worry  about  his  fits, 
'cept  that  he  said  he  was  n't  to  let  the  sarpint  see 
his  face  when  he  was  in  'em  for  fear  of  scaring  it; 
an'  when  the  mate  wanted  to  leave  him  out  o'  the 
watch,  he  ses,  '  No,  he  might  as  well  have  fits  while 
at  work  as  well  as  anywhere  else.' 

"  We  were  about  twenty-four  hours  from  port, 

17  [  257  ] 


MANY    CARGOES 

an'  the  sarpint  was  still  following  us;  and  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening  the  officers  puffected  all 
their  arrangements  for  ketching  the  creetur  at  eight 
o'clock  next  morning.  To  make  quite  sure  of  it 
an  extra  watch  was  kept  on  deck  all  night  to  chuck 
it  food  every  half-hour;  an'  when  I  turned  in  at 
ten  o'clock  that  night  it  was  so  close  I  could  have 
reached  it  with  a  clothes-prop. 

"  I  think  I  'd  been  abed  about  'arf-an-hour  when 
I  was  awoke  by  the  most  infernal  row  I  ever  heard. 
The  foghorn  was  going  incessantly,  an'  there  was 
a  lot  o'  shouting  and  running  about  on  deck.  It 
struck  us  all  as  'ow  the  sarpint  was  g'itting  tired  o' 
bread,  and  was  misbehaving  himself,  consequently 
we  just  shoved  our  'eds  out  o'  the  fore-scuttle  and 
listened.  All  the  hullaballoo  seemed  to  be  on  the 
bridge,  an'  as  we  did  n't  see  the  sarpint  there  we 
plucked  up  courage  and  went  on  deck. 

"  Then  we  saw  what  had  happened.  Joe  had  'ad 
another  fit  while  at  the  wheel,  and,  not  knowing  what 
he  was  doing,  had  clutched  the  line  of  the  foghorn, 
and  was  holding  on  to  it  like  grim  death,  and  kick- 
ing right  and  left.  The  skipper  was  in  his  bed- 
clothes, raving  worse  than  Joe;  and  just  as  we  got 
there  Joe  came  round  a  bit,  and,  letting  go  o'  the 
line,  asked  in  a  faint  voice  what  the  foghorn  was 
blowing  for.  I  thought  the  skipper  'ud  have  killed 
him;  but  the  second  mate  held  him  back,  an',  of 
course,  when  things  quieted  down  a  bit,  an'  we 
went  to  the  side,  we  found  the  sea-sarpint  had 
vanished. 

"  We  stayed  there  all  that  night,  but  it  warn't  no 
Use.  When  day  broke  there  was  n't  the  slightest 
[258] 


THE    RIVAL    BEAUTIES 

trace  of  it,  an'  I  think  the  men  was  as  sorry  to  lose 
it  as  the  officers.  All  'cept  Joe,  that  is,  which  shows 
how  people  should  never  be  rude,  even  to  the  hum- 
blest ;  for  I  'm  sartin  that  if  the  skipper  had  n't 
hurt  his  feelings  the  way  he  did  we  should  now 
know  as  much  about  the  sea-sarpint  as  we  do  about 
our  own  brothers." 


[259] 


MRS.   BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

MATILDA  stood  at  the  open  door  of  a 
house  attached  to  a  wharf   situated  in 
that  dreary  district  which  bears  the  high- 
sounding  name  of  "  St.  Katharine's." 

Work  was  over  for  the  day.  A  couple  of  un- 
horsed vans  were  pushed  up  the  gangway  by  the 
side  of  the  house,  and  the  big  gate  was  closed. 
The  untidy  office  which  occupied  the  ground-floor 
was  deserted,  except  for  a  grey-bearded  "  house- 
maid "  of  sixty,  who  was  sweeping  it  through  with 
a  broom,  and  indulging  in  a  few  sailorly  oaths  at 
the  choking  qualities  of  the  dust  he  was  raising. 

The  sound  of  advancing  footsteps  stopped  at  the 
gate,  a  small  flap-door  let  in  it  flew  open,  and  Matilda 
Bunker's  open  countenance  took  a  pinkish  hue,  as 
a  small  man  in  jersey  and  blue  coat,  with  a  hard 
round  hat  exceeding  high  in  the  crown,  stepped 
inside. 

"  Good  evening,  Mrs.  Bunker,  ma'am,"  said  he, 
coming  slowly  up  to  her. 

"  Good  evening,  captain,"  said  the  lady,  who  was 
Mrs.  only  by  virtue  of  her  age  and  presence. 

"  Fresh  breeze,"  said  the  man  in  the  high  round 
hat.  "  If  this  lasts  we  '11  be  in  Ipswich  in  no 
time." 

Mrs.  Bunker  assented. 

[260] 


MRS.    BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

"  Beautiful  the  river  is  at  present,"  continued  the 
captain.  "  Everything  growing  splendid." 

"  In  the  river  ?  "  asked  the  mystified  Mrs.  Bunker. 

"  On  the  banks,"  said  the  captain;  "  the  trees,  by 
Sheppey,  and  all  round  there.  Now,  why  don't  you 
say  the  word,  and  come?  There's  a  cabin  like  a 
new  pin  ready  for  you  to  sit  in  —  for  cleanness,  I 
mean  —  and  every  accommodation  you  could  re- 
quire. Sleep  like  a  humming-top  you  will,  if  you 
come." 

"  Humming-top?  "  queried  Mrs.  Bunker  archly. 

"  Any  top,"  said  the  captain.  "  Come,  make  up 
your  mind.  We  shan't  sail  afore  nine." 

"  It  don't  look  right,"  said  the  lady,  who  was 
sorely  tempted.  "  But  the  missus  says  I  may  go  if 
I  like,  so  I  '11  just  go  and  get  my  box  ready.  I  '11 
be  down  on  the  jetty  at  nine." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  said  the  skipper,  smiling,  "  me  and 
Bill  '11  just  have  a  snooze  till  then.  So  long." 

"  So  long,"  said  Matilda. 

"  So  long,"  repeated  the  amorous  skipper,  and 
turning  round  to  bestow  another  ardent  glance 
upon  the  fair  one  at  the  door,  crashed  into  the 
waggon. 

The  neighbouring  clocks  were  just  striking  nine 
in  a  sort  of  yelping  chorus  to  the  heavy  boom  of 
Big  Ben,  which  came  floating  down  the  river,  as 
Mrs.  Bunker  and  the  night  watchman,  staggering 
under  a  load  of  luggage,  slowly  made  their  way 
on  to  the  jetty.  The  barge,  for  such  was  the  craft 
in  question,  was  almost  level  with  the  planks,  while 
the  figures  of  two  men  darted  to  and  fro  in  all  the 
bustle  of  getting  under  way. 
[261] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Bill,"  said  the  watchman,  addressing  the  mate, 
"  bear  a  hand  with  this  box,  and  be  careful,  it 's 
got  the  wedding  clothes  inside." 

The  watchman  was  so  particularly  pleased  with 
this  little  joke  that  in  place  of  giving  the  box  to 
Bill  he  put  it  down  and  sat  on  it,  shaking  convul- 
sively with  his  hand  over  his  mouth,  while  the 
blushing  Matilda  and  the  discomfited  captain  strove 
in  vain  to  appear  unconcerned. 

The  packages  were  rather  a  tight  squeeze  for  the 
cabin,  but  they  managed  to  get  them  in,  and  the 
skipper,  with  a  threatening  look  at  his  mate,  who 
was  exchanging  glances  of  exquisite  humour  with 
the  watchman,  gave  his  hand  to  Mrs.  Bunker  and 
helped  her  aboard. 

"  Welcome  on  the  Sir  Edmund  Lyons,  Mrs. 
Bunker,"  said  he.  "  Bill,  kick  that  dawg  back." 

"  Stop !  "  said  Mrs.  Bunker  hastily,  "  that 's  my 
chapperong." 

"  Your  what?  "  said  the  skipper.  "  It 's  a  dawg, 
Mrs.  Bunker,  an'  I  won't  have  no  dawgs  aboard  my 
craft." 

"  Bill,"  said  Mrs.  Bunker,  "  fetch  my  box  up 
again." 

"  Leastways,"  the  captain  hastened  to  add,  "  un- 
less it 's  any  friend  of  yours,  Mrs.  Bunker." 

"  It 's  chaperoning  me,"  said  Matilda ;  "  it 
would  n't  be  proper  for  a  lady  to  go  a  v'y'ge  with 
two  men  without  somebody  to  look  after  her." 

'  That 's  right,  Sam,"  said  the  watchman  senten- 
tiously.  "  You  ought  to  know  that  at  your  age." 

"  Why,  we  're  looking  after  her,"  said  the  simple- 
minded  captain.     "  Me  an'  Bill." 
[Jfe] 


MRS.    BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

"  Take  care  Bill  don't  cut  you  out,"  said  the 
watchman  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  distinctly  audible 
to  all.  "  He 's  younger  nor  what  you  are,  Sam, 
an'  the  wimmen  are  just  crazy  arter  young  men. 
'Sides  which,  he 's  a  finer  man  altogether.  An' 
you  've  had  one  wife  u  ready,  Sam." 

"  Cast  off !  "  said  the  skipper  impatiently.  "  Cast 
off!  Stand  by  there,  Bill!" 

"  Ay,  ay !  "  said  Bill,  seizing  a  boat-hook,  and  the 
lines  fell  into  the  water  with  a  splash  as  the  barge 
was  pushed  out  into  the  tide. 

Mrs.  Bunker  experienced  the  usual  trouble  of 
landsmen  aboard  ship,  and  felt  herself  terribly  in 
the  way  as  the  skipper  divided  his  attentions  be- 
tween the  tiller  and  helping  Bill  with  the  sail. 
Meantime  the  barge  had  bothered  most  of  the 
traffic  by  laying  across  the  river,  and  when  the  sail 
was  hoisted  had  got  under  the  lee  of  a  huge  ware- 
house and  scarcely  moved. 

"  We  '11  feel  the  breeze  directly,"  said  Captain 
Codd.  "  Then  you  '11  see  what  she  can  do." 

As  he  spoke,  the  barge  began  to  slip  through  the 
water  as  a  light  breeze  took  her  huge  sail  and  car- 
ried her  into  the  stream,  where  she  fell  into  line 
with  other  craft  who  were  just  making  a  start. 

At  a  pleasant  pace,  with  wind  and  tide,  the  Sir 
Edmund  Lyons  proceeded  on  its  way,  her  skipper 
cocking  his  eye  aloft  and  along  her  decks  to  point 
out  various  beauties  to  his  passenger  which  she 
might  otherwise  have  overlooked.  A  comfortable 
supper  was  spread  on  the  deck,  and  Mrs.  Bunker 
began  to  think  regretfully  of  the  pleasure  she  had 
missed  in  taking  up  barge-sailing  so  late  in  life. 
[263] 


MANY    CARGOES 

Greenwich,  with  its  white-fronted  hospital  and 
background  of  trees,  was  passed.  The  air  got  sen- 
sibly cooler,  and  to  Mrs.  Bunker  it  seemed  that  the 
water  was  not  only  getting  darker,  but  also  lumpy, 
and  she  asked  two  or  three  times  whether  there  was 
any  danger. 

The  skipper  laughed  gaily,  and  diving  down  into 
the  cabin  fetched  up  a  shawl,  which  he  placed  care- 
fully round  his  fair  companion's  shoulders.  His 
right  hand  grasped  the  tiller,  his  left  stole  softly 
and  carefully  round  her  waist. 

"How  enjoyable!"  said  Mrs.  Bunker,  referring 
to  the  evening. 

"  Glad  you  like  it,"  said  the  skipper,  who  was  n't. 
"  Oh,  how  pleasant  to  go  sailing  down  the  river  of 
life  like  this,  everything  quiet  and  peaceful,  just 
driftin'  " 

"  Ahoy ! "  yelled  the  mate  suddenly  from  the 
bows.  "  Who's  steering?  Starbud  your  helium." 

The  skipper  started  guiltily,  and  put  his  helm  to 
starboard  as  another  barge  came  up  suddenly  from 
the  opposite  direction  and  almost  grazed  them. 
There  were  two  men  on  board,  and  the  skipper 
blushed  for  their  fluency  as  reflecting  upon  the 
order  in  general. 

It  was  some  little  time  before  they  could  settle 
down  again  after  this,  but  ultimately  they  got  back 
in  their  old  position,  and  the  infatuated  Codd  was 
just  about  to  wax  sentimental  again,  when  he  felt 
something  behind  him.  He  turned  with  a  start  as 
a  portly  retriever  inserted  his  head  under  his  left 
arm,  and  slowly  but  vigorously  forced  himself  be- 
tween them;  then  he  sat  on  his  haunches  and 


MRS.    BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

panted,  while  the  disconcerted  Codd  strove  to  realise 
the  humour  of  the  position. 

"  I  think  I  shall  go  to  bed  now,"  said  Mrs. 
Bunker,  after  the  position  had  lasted  long  enough 
to  be  unendurable.  "  If  anything  happens,  a  col- 
lision or  anything,  don't  be  afraid  to  let  me 
know." 

The  skipper  promised,  and,  shaking  hands,  bade 
his  passenger  good-night.  She  descended,  some- 
what clumsily,  it  is  true,  into  the  little  cabin,  and 
the  skipper,  sitting  by  the  helm,  which  he  lazily 
manoeuvred  as  required,  smoked  his  short  clay  and 
fell  into  a  lover's  reverie. 

So  he  sat  and  smoked  until  the  barge,  which  had, 
by  the  help  of  the  breeze,  been  making  its  way 
against  the  tide,  began  to  realise  that  that  good 
friend  had  almost  dropped,  and  at  the  same  time 
bethought  itself  of  a  small  anchor  which  hung  over 
the  bows  ready  for  emergencies  such  as  these. 

"  We  must  bring  up,  Bill,"  said  the  skipper. 

"  Ay,  ay !  "  said  Bill,  sleepily  raising  himself  from 
the  hatchway.  "  Over  she  goes." 

With  no  more  ceremony  than  this  he  dropped  the 
anchor;  the  sail,  with  two  strong  men  hauling  on 
to  it,  creaked  and  rustled  its  way  close  to  the  mast, 
and  the  Sir  Edmund  Lyons  was  ready  for  sleep. 

"  I  can  do  with  a  nap,"  said  Bill.  "  I  'm  dog- 
tired." 

.  "  So  am  I,"  said  the  other.  "  It  '11  be  a  tight  fit 
down  forward,  but  we  could  n't  ask  a  lady  to  sleep 
there." 

Bill  gave  a  non-committal  grunt,  and  as  the  cap- 
tain, after  the  manner  of  his  kind,  took  a  last  look 
[265] 


MANY    CARGOES 

round  before  retiring,  placed  his  hands  on  the  hatch 
and  lowered  himself  down.  The  next  moment  he 
came  up  with  a  wild  yell,  and,  sitting  on  the  deck, 
rolled  up  his  trousers  and  fondled  his  leg. 

"  What 's  the  matter?  "  inquired  the  skipper. 

"  That  blessed  dog  's  down  there,  that 's  all,"  said 
the  injured  Bill.  "  He  's  evidently  mistook  it  for 
his  kennel,  and  I  don't  wonder  at  it.  I  thought 
he  'd  been  wonderful  quiet." 

"  We  must  talk  him  over,"  said  the  skipper,  ad- 
vancing to  the  hatchway.  "  Poor  dog !  Poor  old 
chap!  Come  along,  then!  Come  along!"  He 
patted  his  leg  and  whistled,  and  the  dog,  which 
wanted  to  get  to  sleep  again,  growled  like  a  small 
thunderstorm. 

"  Come  on,  old  fellow !  "  said  the  skipper  entic- 
ingly. "  Come  along,  come  on,  then !  " 

The  dog  came  at  last,  and  then  the  skipper,  in- 
stead of  staying  to  pat  him,  raced  Bill  up  the  ropes, 
while  the  brute,  in  execrable  taste,  paced  up  and 
down  the  deck  daring  them  to  come  down.  Com- 
ing to  the  conclusion,  at  last,  that  they  were  settled 
for  the  night,  he  returned  to  the  forecastle  and, 
after  a  warning  bark  or  two,  turned  in  again.  Both 
men,  after  waiting  a  few  minutes,  cautiously  re- 
gained the  deck. 

"  You  call  him  up  again,"  said  Bill,  seizing  a 
boat-hook,  and  holding  it  at  the  charge. 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  other.  "  I  won't  have 
no  blood  spilt  aboard  my  ship." 

"  Who  's  going  to  spill  blood?  "  asked  the  Jesuit- 
ical Bill ;  "  but  if  he  likes  to  run  hisself  on  to  the 

boat-hook  " 

[266] 


MRS.    BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

"  Put  it  down,"  said  the  skipper  sternly,  and  Bill 
sullenly  obeyed. 

"  We  '11  have  to  snooze  on  deck,"  said  Codd. 

"  And  mind  we  don't  snore,"  said  the  sarcastic 
Bill,  "  'cos  the  dog  might  n't  like  it." 

Without  noticing  this  remark  the  captain  stretched 
himself  on  the  hatches,  and  Bill,  after  a  few  more 
grumbles,  followed  his  example,  and  both  men  were 
soon  asleep. 

Day  was  breaking  when  they  awoke  and  stretched 
their  stiffened  limbs,  for  the  air  was  fresh,  with  a 
suspicion  of  moisture  in  it.  Two  or  three  small 
craft  were,  like  themselves,  riding  at  anchor,  their 
decks  wet  and  deserted;  others  were  getting  under 
way  to  take  advantage  of  the  tide,  which  had  just 
turned. 

"  Up  with  the  anchor,"  said  the  skipper,  seizing 
a  handspike  and  thrusting  it  into  the  windlass. 

As  the  rusty  chain  came  in,  an  ominous  growling 
came  from  below,  and  Bill  snatched  his  handspike 
out  and  raised  it  aloft.  The  skipper  gazed  medita- 
tively at  the  shore,  and  the  dog,  as  it  came  bound- 
ing up,  gazed  meditatively  at  the  handspike.  Then 
it  yawned,  an  easy,  unconcerned  yawn,  and  com- 
menced to  pace  the  deck,  and  coming  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  men  were  only  engaged  in  necessary 
work,  regarded  their  efforts  with  a  lenient  eye,  and 
barked  encouragingly  as  they  hoisted  the  sail. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning.  The  miniature  river 
waves  broke  against  the  blunt  bows  of  the  barge, 
and  passed  by  her  sides  rippling  musically.  Over 
the  flat  Essex  marshes  a  white  mist  was  slowly  dis- 
persing before  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  trees  on 
[267] 


MANY    CARGOES 

the  Kentish  hills  were  black  and  drenched  with 
moisture. 

A  little  later  smoke  issued  from  the  tiny  cowl 
over  the  fo'c'sle  and  rolled  in  a  little  pungent  cloud 
to  the  Kentish  shore.  Then  a  delicious  odour  of 
frying  steak  rose  from  below,  and  fell  like  healing 
balm  upon  the  susceptible  nostrils  of  the  skipper  as 
he  stood  at  the  helm. 

"Is  Mrs.  Bunker  getting  up?"  inquired  the 
mate,  as  he  emerged  from  the  fo'c'sle  and  walked 
aft. 

"  I  believe  so,"  said  the  skipper.  "  There  's  move- 
ments below." 

"  'Cos  the  steak  's  ready  and  waiting,"  said  the 
mate.  "  I  've  put  it  on  a  dish  in  front  of  the 
fire." 

"  Ay,  ay !  "  said  the  skipper. 

The  mate  lit  his  pipe  and  sat  down  on  the  hatch- 
way, slowly  smoking.  He  removed  it  a  couple  of 
minutes  later,  to  stare  in  bewilderment  at  the  un- 
wonted behaviour  of  the  dog,  which  came  up  to  the 
captain  and  affectionately  licked  his  hands. 

"  He  's  took  quite  a  fancy  to  me,"  said  the  de- 
lighted man. 

"  Love  me  love  my  dog,"  quoted  Bill  waggishly, 
as  he  strolled  forward  again. 

The  skipper  was  fondly  punching  the  dog,  which 
was  now  on  its  back  with  its  four  legs  in  the  air, 
when  he  heard  a  terrible  cry  from  the  fo'c'sle,  and 
the  mate  came  rushing  wildly  on  deck. 

"  Where 's  that dog?  "  he  cried. 

"  Don't  you  talk  like  that  aboard  my  ship. 
Where  's  your  manners  ?  "  cried  the  skipper  hotly. 
[268] 


MRS.    BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

" the  manners !  "  said  the  mate,  with  tears 

in  his  eyes.    "  Where  's  that  dog's  manners?    He  's 
eaten  all  that  steak." 

Before  the  other  could  reply, 'the  scuttle  over  the 
cabin  was  drawn,  and  the  radiant  face  of  Mrs. 
Bunker  appeared  at  the  opening. 

"  I  can  smell  breakfast,"  she  said  archly. 

"  No  wonder,  with  that  dog  so  close,"  said  Bill 
grimly. 

Mrs.  Bunker  looked  at  the  captain  for  an  ex- 
planation. 

"  He 's  ate  it,"  said  that  gentleman  briefly. 
"  A  pound  and  a  'arf  o'  the  best  rump  steak  in 
Wapping." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Mrs.  Bunker  sweetly,  "  cook 
some  more.  I  can  wait." 

"  Cook  some  more,"  said  the  skipper  to  the  mate, 
who  still  lingered. 

"  I  '11  cook  some  bloaters.  That 's  all  we  've  got 
now,"  replied  the  mate  sulkily. 

"It 's  a  lovely  morning,"  said  Mrs.  Bunker,  as 
the  mate  retired,  "  the  air  is  so  fresh.  I  expect 
that 's  what  has  made  Rover  so  hungry.  He  is  n't 
a  greedy  dog.  Not  at  all." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  Codd,  as  the  dog  rose,  and, 
after  sniffing  the  air,  gently  wagged  his  tail  and 
trotted  forward.  "Where's  he  off  to  now?" 

"  He  can  smell  the  bloaters,  I  expect,"  said  Mrs. 
Bunker,  laughing.  "  It 's  wonderful  what  intelli- 
gence he  's  got.  Come  here,  Rover!  " 

"  Bill ! "  cried  the  skipper  warningly,  as  the 
dog  continued  on  his  way.  "Look  out!  He's 
coming! " 

[269] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Call  him  off ! "  yelled  the  mate  anxiously.  "  Call 
him  off!" 

Mrs.  Bunker  ran  up,  and,  seizing  her  chaperon 
by  the  collar,  hauled  him  away. 

"  It 's  the  sea  air,"  said  she  apologetically ;  "  and 
he  's  been  on  short  commons  lately,  because  he 's 
not  been  well.  Keep  still,  Rover !  " 

"  Keep  still,  Rover !  "  said  the  skipper,  with  an 
air  of  command. 

Under  this  joint  control  the  dog  sat  down,  his 
tongue  lolling  out,  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  fo'c'sle 
until  the  breakfast  was  spread.  The  appearance  of 
the  mate  with  a  dish  of  steaming  fish  excited  him 
again,  and  being  chidden  by  his  mistress,  he  sat 
down  sulkily  in  the  skipper's  plate,  until  pushed  off 
by  its  indignant  owner. 

"  Soft  roe,  Bill  ?  "  inquired  the  skipper  courte- 
ously, after  he  had  served  his  passenger. 

"  That 's  not  my  plate,"  said  the  mate  pointedly, 
as  the  skipper  helped  him. 

"  Oh !  I  was  n't  noticing,"  said  the  other,  red- 
dening. 

"  I  was,  though,"  said  the  mate  rudely.  "  I 
thought  you  'd  do  that.  I  was  waiting  for  it.  I  'm 
not  going  to  eat  after  animals,  if  you  are." 

The  skipper  coughed,  and,  after  effecting  the 
desired  exchange,  proceeded  with  his  breakfast  in 
sombre  silence. 

The  barge  was  slipping  at  an  easy  pace  through 
the  water,  the  sun  was  bright,  and  the  air  cool, 
and  everything  pleasant  and  comfortable,  until  the 
chaperon,  who  had  been  repeatedly  pushed  away, 
broke  through  the  charmed  circle  which  surrounded 
[270] 


MRS.    BUNKER'S    CHAPERON 

^ 

the  food  and  seized  a  fish.  In  the  confusion  which 
ensued  he  fell  foul  of  the  tea-kettle,  and,  dropping 
his  prey,  bit  the  skipper  frantically,  until  driven  off 
by  his  mistress. 

"  Naughty  boy ! "  said  she,  giving  him  a  few 
slight  cuffs.  "  Has  he  hurt  you  ?  I  must  get  a 
bandage  for  you." 

"  A  little,"  said  Codd,  looking  at  his  hand,  which 
was  bleeding  profusely.  "  There  's  a  little  linen  in 
the  locker  down  below,  if  you  would  n't  mind  tear- 
ing it  up  for  me." 

Mrs.  Bunker,  giving  the  dog  a  final  slap,  went 
below,  and  the  two  men  looked  at  each  other  and 
then  at  the  dog,  which  was  standing  at  the  stern, 
barking  insultingly  at  a  passing  steamer. 

"  It 's  about  time  she  came  over,"  said  the  mate, 
throwing  a  glance  kt  the  sail,  then  at  the  skipper, 
then  at  the  dog. 

"  So  it  is,"  said  the  skipper,  through  his  set  teeth. 

As  he  spoke  he  pushed  the  long  tiller  hastily  from 
port  to  starboard,  and  the  dog  finished  his  bark  in 
the  water;  the  huge  sail  reeled  for  a  moment,  then 
swung  violently  over  to  the  other  side,  and  the 
barge  was  on  a  fresh  tack,  with  the  dog  twenty 
yards  astern.  He  was  wise  in  his  generation,  and 
after  one  look  at  the  barge,  made  for  the  distant 
shore. 

"Murderers!"  screamed  a  voice;  "murderers! 
you  've  killed  my  dog." 

"  It  was  an  accident ;  I  did  n't  see  him,"  stam- 
mered the  skipper. 

"  Don't  tell  me,"  stormed  the  lady ;  "  I  saw  it  all 
through  the  skylight." 

[271] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  We  had  to  shift  the  helm  to  get  out  of  the  way 
of  a  schooner,"  said  Codd. 

"  Where 's  the  schooner  ? "  demanded  Mrs. 
Bunker;  "where  is  it?" 

The  captain  looked  at  the  mate.  "  Where  's  the 
schooner?"  said  he. 

"  I  b'leeve,"  said  the  mate,  losing  his  head  en- 
tirely at  this  question,  "  I  b'leeve  we  must  have  run 
her  down.  I  don't  see  her  nowhere  about." 

Mrs.  Bunker  stamped  her  foot,  and,  with  a  ter- 
rible glance  at  the  men,  descended  to  the  cabin. 
From  this  coign  of  vantage  she  obstinately  refused 
to  budge,  and  sat  in  angry  seclusion  until  the  vessel 
reached  Ipswich  late  in  the  evening.  Then  she  ap- 
peared on  deck,  dressed  for  walking,  and,  utterly 
ignoring  the  woebegone  Codd,  stepped  ashore,  and, 
obtaining  a  cab  for  her  boxes,  drove  silently  away. 

An  hour  afterwards  the  mate  went  to  his  home, 
leaving  the  captain  sitting  on  the  lonely  deck  striv- 
ing to  realise  the  bitter  fact  that,  so  far  as  the  end 
he  had  in  view  was  concerned,  he  had  seen  the  last 
of  Mrs.  Bunker  and  the  small  but  happy  home  in 
which  he  had  hoped  to  install  her. 


[272] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

A  WATERMAN'S  boat  was  lying  in  the 
river  just  below  Greenwich,  the  waterman 
resting  on  his  oars,  while  his  fare,  a  small, 
perturbed-looking  man  in  seaman's  attire,  gazed  ex- 
pectantly up  the  river. 

"  There  she  is ! "  he  cried  suddenly,  as  a  small 
schooner  came  into  view  from  behind  a  big  steamer. 
"  Take  me  alongside." 

"  Nice  little  thing  she  is  too,"  said  the  waterman, 
watching  the  other  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  as 
he  bent  to  his  oars.  "  Rides  the  water  like  a  duck. 
Her  cap'n  knows  a  thing  or  two,  I  '11  bet." 

"  He  knows  watermen's  fares,"  replied  the  pas- 
senger coldly. 

"  Look  out  there ! "  cried  a  voice  from  the 
schooner,  and  the  mate  threw  a  line  which  the 
passenger  skilfully  caught. 

The  waterman  ceased  rowing,  and,  as  his  boat 
came  alongside  the  schooner,  held  out  his  hand  to 
his  passenger,  who  had  already  commenced  to 
scramble  up  the  side,  and  demanded  his  fare.  It 
was  handed  down  to  him. 

"  It 's  all  right,  then,"  said  the  fare,  as  he  stood 
on  the  deck  and  closed  his  eyes  to  the  painful  lan- 
18  [  273  1 


MANY    CARGOES 

guage  in  which  the  waterman  was  addressing  him. 
"Nobody  been  inquiring  for  me?" 

"  Not  a  soul,"  said  the  mate.  "  What 's  all  the 
row  about  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  see,  it 's  this  way,"  said  the  master 
of  the  Frolic,  dropping  his  voice.  "  I  've  been  tak- 
ing a  little  too  much  notice  of  a  little  craft  down 
Battersea  way  —  nice  little  thing,  an'  she  thought 
I  was  a  single  man,  d'  ye  see?  " 

The  mate  sucked  his  teeth. 

"  She  introduced  me  to  her  brother  as  a  single 
man,"  continued  the  skipper.  "  He  asked  me  when 
the  banns  was  to  be  put  up,  an'  I  did  n't  like  to  tell 
him  I  was  a  married  man  with  a  family." 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  the  mate. 

"  He  's  a  prize-fighter,"  said  the  other,  in  awe- 
inspiring  tones ;  "  '  the  Battersea  Bruiser.'  Conse- 
quently when  he  clapped  me  on  the  back,  and  asked 
me  when  the  banns  was  to  be,  I  only  smiled." 

"  What  did  he  do  ?  "  inquired  the  mate,  who  was 
becoming  interested. 

"  Put  'em  up,"  groaned  the  skipper,  "  an'  we  all 
went  to  church  to  hear  'em.  Talk  o'  people  walking 
over  your  grave,  George,  it 's  nothing  to  what  I  felt 
—  nothing.  I  felt  a  hypocrite,  almost.  Somehow 
he  found  out  about  me,  and  I  Ve  been  hiding  ever 
since  I  sent  you  that  note.  He  told  a  pal  he  was 
going  to  give  me  a  licking,  and  come  down  to  Fair- 
haven  with  us  and  make  mischief  between  me  and 
the  missis." 

'  That  'ud  be  worse  than  the  licking,"  said  the 
mate  sagely. 

"  Ah !  and  she  5d  believe  him  afore  she  would  me, 
[274] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

too,  an'  we  Ve  been  married  seventeen  years,"  said 
the  skipper  mournfully. 

"  Perhaps  that 's  " began  the  mate,  and 

stopped  suddenly. 

"  Perhaps  what?  "  inquired  the  other,  after  wait- 
ing a  reasonable  time  for  him  to  finish. 

"  H'm,  I  forgot  what  I  was  going  to  say,"  said 
the  mate.  "  Funny,  it 's  gone  now.  Well,  you  're 
all  right  now.  You  'd  intended  this  to  be  the  last 
trip  to  London  for  some  time." 

"  Yes,  that 's  what  made  me  a  bit  more  loving 
than  I  should  ha'  been,"  mused  the  skipper.  "  How- 
ever, all 's  well  that  ends  well.  How  did  you  get  on 
about  the  cook?  Did  you  ship  one?  " 

"  Yes,  I  've  got  one,  but  he  's  only  signed  as  far 
as  Fairhaven,"  replied  the  mate.  "  Fine  strong  chap 
he  is.  He 's  too  good  for  a  cook.  I  never  saw  a 
better  built  man  in  my  life.  It  '11  do  your  eyes  good 
to  look  at  him.  Here,  cook !  " 

At  the  summons  a  huge,  close-cropped  head  was 
thrust  out  of  the  galley,  and  a  man  of  beautiful 
muscular  development  stepped  out  before  the  eyes 
of  the  paralyzed  skipper,  and  began  to  remove  his 
coat. 

"Ain't  he  a  fine  chap?"  said  the  mate  admir- 
ingly. "  Show  him  your  biceps,  cook." 

With  a  leer  at  the  captain  the  cook  complied.  He 
then  doubled  his  fists,  and,  ducking  his  head  scien- 
tifically, danced  all  round  the  stupefied  master  of 
the  Frolic. 

"  Put  your  dooks  up,"  he  cried  warningly.  "  I  'm 
going  to  dot  you !  " 

"  .What  the  deuce  are  you  up  to,  cook  ? "  de- 

.[275] 


MANY    CARGOES 

manded  the  mate,  who  had  been  watching  his  pro- 
ceedings in  speechless  amazement. 

"  Cook !  "  said  the  person  addressed,  with  ma- 
jectic  scorn.  "  I  'm  no  cook ;  I  'm  Bill  Simmons, 
the  '  Battersea  Bruiser,'  an'  I  shipped  on  this  ere 
little  tub  all  for  your  dear  captin's  sake.  I  'm  going 
to  put  sich  a  'ed  on  'im  that  when  he  wants  to  blow 
his  nose  he  '11  have  to  get  a  looking-glass  to  see 
where  to  go  to.  I  'm  going  to  give  'im  a  licking 
every  day,  and  when  we  get  to  Fairhaven  I  'm  going 
to  foller  'im  'ome  and  tell  his  wife  about  'im  walk- 
ing out  with  my  sister." 

"  She  walked  me  out,"  said  the  skipper,  with  dry 
lips. 

"  Put  'em  up,"  vociferated  the  "  Bruiser." 

"  Don't  you  touch  me,  my  lad,"  said  the  skipper, 
dodging  behind  the  wheel.  "  Go  an'  see  about  your 
work  —  go  an'  peel  the  taters." 

"Wot!"  roared  the  "Bruiser." 

"  You  Ve  shipped  as  cook  aboard  my  craft,"  said 
the  skipper  impressively.  "If  you  lay  a  finger  on 
me  it 's  mutiny,  and  you  '11  get  twelve  months." 

"  That 's  right,"  said  the  mate,  as  the  pugilist 
(who  had  once  had  fourteen  days  for  bruising,  and 
still  held  it  in  wholesome  remembrance)  paused 
irresolute.  "  It 's  mutiny,  and  it  '11  also  be  my  pain- 
ful duty  to  get  up  the  shotgun  and  blow  the  top  of 
your  ugly  'ed  off." 

"  Would  it  be  mutiny  if  I  was  to  dot  you  one?  " 
inquired  the  "  Bruiser,"  in  a  voice  husky  with  emo- 
tion, as  he  sidled  up  to  the  mate. 

"  It  would,"  said  the  other  hastily. 

"  Well,  you  're  a  nice  lot,"  said  the  disgusted 
[276] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

"  Bruiser,"  "  you  and  your  mutinies.  Will  any  one 
of  you  have  a  go  at  me  ?  " 

There  was  no  response  from  the  crew,  who  had 
gathered  round,  and  were  watching  the  proceedings 
with  keen  enjoyment. 

"Or  all  of  yer?"  asked  the  "Bruiser,"  raising 
his  eyebrows. 

"  I  've  got  no  quarrel  with  you,  my  lad,"  the  boy 
remarked  with  dignity,  as  he  caught  the  new  cook's 
eye. 

"  Go  and  cook  the  dinner,"  said  the  skipper ;  "  and 
look  sharp  about  it.  I  don't  want  to  have  to  find 
fault  with  a  young  beginner  like  you;  but  I  don't 
have  no  shirkers  aboard  —  understand  that." 

For  one  moment  of  terrible  suspense  the  skipper's 
life  hung  in  the  balance,  then  the  "  Bruiser,"  re- 
straining his  natural  instincts  by  a  mighty  effort, 
retreated,  growling,  to  the  galley. 

The  skipper's  breath  came  more  freely. 

"  He  don't  know  your  address,  I  s'pose,"  said  the 
mate. 

"  No,  but  he  '11  soon  find  it  out  when  we  get 
ashore,"  replied  the  other  dolefully.  "  When  I 
think  that  I  've  got  to  take  that  brute  to  my  home 
to  make  mischief  I  feel  tempted  to  chuck  him  over- 
board almost." 

"  It  is  a  temptation,"  agreed  the  mate  loyally, 
closing  his  eyes  to  his  chief's  physical  deficiencies. 
"  I  '11  pass  the  word  to  the  crew  not  to  let  him  know 
your  address,  anyhow." 

The  morning  passed  quietly,  the  skipper  striving 
to  look  unconcerned  as  the  new  cook  grimly  brought 
the  dinner  down  to  the  cabin  and  set  it  before  him. 

[277] 


MANY    CARGOES 

After  toying  with  it  a  little  while,  the  master  of  the 
Frolic  dined  off  buttered  biscuit. 

It  was  a  matter  of  much  discomfort  to  the  crew 
that  the  new  cook  took  his  duties  very  seriously,  and 
prided  himself  on  his  cooking.  He  was,  moreover, 
disposed  to  be  inconveniently  punctilious  about  the 
way  in  which  his  efforts  were  regarded.  For  the 
first  day  the  crew  ate  in  silence,  but  at  dinner-time 
on  the  second  the  storm  broke. 

"  What  are  yer  looking  at  your  vittles  like  that 
for?"  inquired  the  "Bruiser"  of  Sam  Dowse,  as 
that  able-bodied  seaman  sa't  with  his  plate  in  his 
lap,  eyeing  it  with  much  disfavour.  "  That  ain't 
the  way  to  look  at  your  food,  after  I  've  been  per- 
spiring away  all  the  morning  cooking  it." 

"  Yes,  you  've  cooked  yourself  instead  of  the 
meat,"  said  Sam  warmly.  "  It 's  a  shame  to  spoil 
good  food  like  that ;  it 's  quite  raw." 

"You  eat  it!"  said  the  "Bruiser"  fiercely; 
"  that 's  wot  you  Ve  got  to  do.  Eat  it !  " 

For  sole  answer  the  indignant  Sam  threw  a  piece 
at  him,  and  the  rest  of  the  crew,  snatching  up  their 
dinners,  hurriedly  clambered  into  their  bunks  and 
viewed  the  fray  from  a  safe  distance. 

"  Have  you  'ad  enough  ?  "  inquired  the  "  Bruiser," 
addressing  the  head  of  Sam,  which  protruded  from 
beneath  his  left  arm. 

"  I  'ave,"  said  Sam  surlily. 

"  And  you  won't  turn  up  your  nose  at  good  vittles 
any  more?"  inquired  the  "Bruiser"  severely. 

"  I  won't  turn  it  up  at  anything,"  said  Sam 
earnestly,  as  he  tenderly  felt  the  member  in 
question. 

[278] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

"  You  're  the  only  one  as  'as  complained,"  said 
the  "  Bruiser."  "  You  're  dainty,  that 's  wot  you 
are.  Look  at  the  others  —  look  how  they  're  eat- 
ing theirs  1 " 

At  this  hint  the  others  came  out  of  their  bunks 
and  fell  to,  and  the  "  Bruiser  "  became  affable. 

"  It 's  wonderful  wot  I  can  turn  my  'and  to,"  he 
remarked  pleasantly.  "  Things  come  natural  to  me 
that  other  men  have  to  learn.  You  'd  better  put  a 
bit  of  raw  beef  on  that  eye  o'  yours,  Sam." 

The  thoughtless  Sam  clapped  on  a  piece  from  his 
plate,  and  it  was  only  by  the  active  intercession  of 
the  rest  of  the  crew  that  the  sensitive  cook  was  pre- 
vented from  inflicting  more  punishment. 

From  this  time  forth  the  "  Bruiser "  ruled  the 
roost,  and,  his  temper  soured  by  his  trials,  ruled  if 
with  a  rod  of  iron.  The  crew,  with  the  exception 
of  Dowse,  were  small  men  getting  into  years,  and 
quite  unable  to  cope  with  him.  His  attitude  with 
the  skipper  was  dangerously  deferential,  and  the 
latter  was  sorely  perplexed  to  think  of  a  way  out 
of  the  mess  in  which  he  found  himself. 

"  He  means  business,  George,"  he  said  one  day  to 
the  mate,  as  he  saw  the  "  Bruiser  "  watching  him 
intently  from  the  galley. 

"  He  looks  at  you  worse  an'  worse,"  was  the 
mate's  cheering  reply.  "  The  cooking 's  spoiling 
what  little  temper  he 's  got  left  as  fast  as 
possible." 

"  It 's  the  scandal  I  'm  thinking  of,"  groaned  the 
skipper ;  "  all  becos'  I  like  to  be  a  bit  pleasant  to 
people." 

"  You  must  n't  look  at  the  black  side  o'  things," 

[279] 


MANY    CARGOES 

said  the  mate ;  "  perhaps  you  won't  want  to  need  to 
worry  about  that  after  he  's  hit  you.  I  'd  sooner  be 
kicked  by  a  horse  myself.  He  was  telling  them 
down  for'ard  the  other  night  that  he  killed  a  chap 
once." 

The  skipper  turned  green.  "  He  ought  to  have 
been  hung  for  it,"  he  said  vehemently.  "  I  wonder 
what  juries  think  they  're  for  in  this  country.  If 
I  'd  been  on  the  jury  I  'd  ha'  had  my  way,  if  they  'd 
starved  me  for  a  month !  " 

"  Look  here!  "  said  the  mate  suddenly;  "  I  Ve  got 
an  idea.  You  go  down  below  and  I  '11  call  him  up 
and  start  rating  him.  When  I  'm  in  the  thick  of  it 
you  come  and  stick  up  for  him." 

"  George,"  said  the  skipper,  with  glistening 
eyes,  "  you  're  a  wonder.  Lay  it  on  thick,  and  if 
he  hits  you  I  '11  make  it  up  to  you  in  some 
way." 

He  went  below,  and  the  mate,  after  waiting  for 
some  time,  leaned  over  the  wheel  and  shouted  for 
the  cook. 

"What  do  you  want?"  growled  the  "  Bruiser," 
as  he  thrust  a  visage  all  red  and  streaky  with  his 
work  from  the  galley. 

"  Why  the  devil  don't  you  wash  them  saucepans 
up  ?  "  demanded  the  mate,  pointing  to  a  row  which 
stood  on  the  deck.  "  Do  you  think  we  shipped  you 
becos'  we  wanted  a  broken-nosed,  tenth-rate  prize- 
fighter to  look  at?" 

'  Tenth-rate!  "  roared  the  "  Bruiser,"  coming  out 
on  to  the  deck. 

"  Don't  you  roar  at  your  officer,"  said  the  mate 
sternly.  :<  Your  manners  is  worse  than  your  cook- 
[280] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

ing.  You  'd  better  stay  with  us  a  few  trips  to  im- 
prove 'em." 

The  "  Bruiser  "  turned  purple,  and  shivered  with 
impotent  wrath. 

"  We  get  a  parcel  o'  pot-house  loafers  aboard 
here,"  continued  the  mate,  airily  addressing  the  at- 
mosphere, "  and,  blank  my  eyes !  if  they  don't  think 
they  're  here  to  be  waited  on.  You  '11  want  me  to 
wash  your  face  for  you  next,  and  do  all  your  other 
dirty  work,  you  " 

"  George !  "  said  a  sad,  reproving  voice. 

The  mate  started  dramatically  as  the  skipper  ap- 
peared at  the  companion,  and  stopped  abruptly. 

"For  shame,  George!"  said  the  skipper.  "I 
never  expected  to  hear  you  talk  to  anybody  like 
that,  especially  to  my  friend  Mr.  Simmons." 

"  Your  ivot?  "  demanded  the  friend  hotly. 

"  My  friend,"  repeated  the  other  gently;  "  and  as 
to  tenth-rate  prize-fighters,  George,  the  '  Battersea 
Bruiser '  might  be  champion  of  England,  if  he  'd 
only  take  the  trouble  to  train." 

"  Oh,  you  're  always  sticking  up  for  him,"  said 
the  artful  mate. 

"  He  deserves  it,"  said  the  skipper  warmly. 
"  He  's  always  run  straight,  'as  Bill  Simmons,  and 
when  I  hear  'im  being  talked  at  like  that,  it  makes 
me  go  'ot  all  over." 

"  Don't  you  take  the  trouble  to  go  'ot  all  over  on 
my  account,"  said  the  "  Bruiser  "  politely. 

"  I  can't  help  my  feelings,  Bill,"  said  the  skipper 
softly. 

"  And  don't  you  call  me  Bill,"  roared  -the 
"  Bruiser  "  with  sudden  ferocity.  "  D'  ye  think  I 
[281] 


MANY    CARGOES 

mind  what  you  and  your  little  tinpot  crew  say. 
You  wait  till  we  get  ashore,  my  friend,  and  the 
mate  too.  Both  of  you  wait!" 

He  turned  his  back  on  them  and  walked  off  to 
the  galley,  from  which,  with  a  view  of  giving  them 
an  object-lesson  of  an  entertaining  kind,  he  pres- 
ently emerged  with  a  small  sack  of  potatoes,  which 
he  slung  from  the  boom  and  used  as  a  punching 
ball,  dealing  blows  which  made  the  master  of  the 
Frolic  sick  with  apprehension. 

"  It 's  no  good,"  he  said  to  the  mate;  "  kindness 
is  thrown  away  on  that  man." 

"Well,  if  he  hits  one,  he's  got  to  hit  the  lot," 
said  the  mate.  "  We  '11  all  stand  by  you." 

"  I  can't  always  have  the  crew  follering  me 
about,"  said  the  skipper  dejectedly.  "  No,  he  '11 
wait  his  opportunity,  and,  after  he  's  broke  my  head, 
he  '11  go  'ome  and  break  my  wife's  'art." 

"  She  won't  break  'er  'art,"  said  the  mate  confi- 
dently. "  She  and  you  '11  have  a  rough  time  of  it ; 
p'raps  it  would  be  better  for  you  if  she  did  break 
it  a  bit,  but  she  's  not  that  sort  of  woman.  Well, 
those-of  us  as  live  longest  '11  see  the  most." 

For  the  remainder  of  that  day  the  cook  main- 
tained a  sort  of  unnatural  calm.  The  Frolic  rose 
and  fell  on  the  seas  like  a  cork,  and  the  "  Bruiser  " 
took  short  unpremeditated  little  runs  about  the  deck, 
which  aggravated  him  exceedingly.  Between  the 
runs  he  folded  his  arms  on  the  side,  and  languidly 
cursed  the  sea  and  all  that  belonged  to  it;  and 
finally,  having  lost  all  desire  for  food  himself,  went 
below  and  turned  in. 

He  stayed  in  his  bunk  the  whole  of  the  next  day 
[282] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

and  night,  awaking  early  the  following  morning  to 
the  pleasant  fact  that  the  motion  had  ceased,  and 
that  the  sides  and  floor  of  the  fo'c'sle  were  in  the 
places  where  people  of  regular  habits  would  expect 
to  find  them.  The  other  bunks  were  empty,  and, 
after  a  toilet  hastened  by  a  yearning  for  nourish- 
ment, he  ran  up  on  deck. 

Day  had  just  broken,  and  he  found  to  his  surprise 
that  the  voyage  was  over,  and  the  schooner  in  a 
small  harbour,  lying  alongside  a  stone  quay.  A  few 
unloaded  trucks  stood  on  a  railway  line  which  ran 
from  the  harbour  to  the  town  clustered  behind  it, 
but  there  was  no  sign  of  work  or  life;  the  good 
people  of  the  place  evidently  being  comfortably  in 
their  beds,  and  in  no  hurry  to  quit  them. 

The  "  Bruiser,"  with  a  happy  smile  on  his  face, 
surveyed  the  scene,  sniffing  with  joy  the  smell  of 
the  land  as  it  came  fresh  and  sweet  from  the  hills 
at  the  back  of  the  town.  There  was  only  one  thing 
wanting  to  complete  his  happiness  —  the  skipper. 

"Where's  the  cap'n?"  he  demanded  of  Dowse, 
who  was  methodically  coiling  a  line. 

"  Just  gone  'ome,"  replied  Dowse  shortly. 

In  a  great  hurry  the  "  Bruiser  "  sprang  on  to  the 
side  and  stepped  ashore,  glancing  keenly  in  every 
direction  for  his  prey.  There  was  no  sign  of  it,  and 
he  ran  a  little  way  up  the  road  until  he  saw  the 
approaching  figure  of  a  man,  from  whom  he  hoped 
to  obtain  information.  Then,  happening  to  look 
back,  he  saw  the  masts  of  the  schooner  gliding  by 
the  quay,  and,  retracing  his  steps  a  little,  perceived, 
to  his  intense  surprise,  the  figure  of  the  skipper 
standing  by  the  wheel. 

[283] 


MANY    CARGOES 

"  Ta,  ta,  cookie!  "  cried  the  skipper  cheerily. 

Angry  and  puzzled  the  "  Bruiser  "  ran  back  to 
the  edge  of  the  quay,  and  stood  owlishly  regarding 
the  schooner  and  the  grinning  faces  of  its  crew  as 
they  hoisted  the  sails  and  slowly  swung  around 
with  their  bow  pointing  to  the  sea. 

"  Well,  they  ain't  making  a  long  stay,  old  man," 
said  a  voice  at  his  elbow,  as  the  man  for  whom  he 
had  been  waiting  came  up.  "  Why,  they  only  came 
in  ten  minutes  ago.  What  did  they  come  in  for,  do 
you  know  ?  " 

"  They  belong  here,"  said  the  "  Bruiser  "  ;  "  but 
me  and  the  skipper  's  had  words,  and  I  'm  waiting 
for  'im." 

"  That  craft  don't  belong  here,"  said  the  stranger, 
as  he  eyed  the  receding  Frolic. 

"  Yes,  it  does,"  said  the  "  Bruiser." 

"  I  tell  you  it  don't,"  said  the  other.  "  I  ought  to 
know." 

"  Look  here,  my  friend,"  said  the  "  Bruiser " 
grimly,  "don't  contradict  me.  That's  the  Frolic 
of  Fairhaven." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  the  man.  "  I  don't  know 
where  she  's  from,  but  she  's  not  from  here." 

"  Why,"  said  the  "  Bruiser,"  and  his  voice  shook, 
"  ain't  this  Fairhaven  ?  " 

"  Lord  love  you,  no !  "  said  the  stranger ;  "  not 
by  a  couple  o'  hundred  miles  it  ain't.  Wot  put 
that  idea  into  your  silly  fat  head  ?  " 

The  frantic  "  Bruiser  "  raised  his  fist  at  the  de- 
scription, but  at  that  moment  the  crew  of  the  Frolic, 
which  was  just  getting  clear  of  the  harbour,  hung 
over  the  stern  and  gave  three  hearty  cheers.  The 
[284] 


A    HARBOUR    OF    REFUGE 

stranger  was  of  a  friendly  and  excitable  disposition, 
and,  his  evil  star  being  in  the  ascendant  that  morn- 
ing, he  took  off  his  hat  and  cheered  wildly  back. 
Immediately  afterwards  he  obtained  unasked  the 
post  of  whipping-boy  to  the  master  of  the  Frolic, 
and  entered  upon  his  new  duties  at  once. 


[285] 


A    000176180    8 


